The New Uchiha - The Other Itachi
by Janet-Mufasa
Summary: Ten years since the previous story, Itachi Haruno has found that the world he lives in is... Confusing. Crazy kunoichi, a mysterious family history yet to be discovered, and an odd affinity with anything and everything Uchiha has left him with on of the oddest childhoods of all time. This story is heavy with character introduction and development for the first half of the story.
1. Prologue - A Typical Day at School

**The New Uchiha - The other Itachi**

**Here it is! Part two of The New Uchiha - A Sasusaku and I am LOVING IT!**

**The three main story lines of this story are shown in this prologue, and I've checked that the spacing hasnt screwed itself up on me like it sometimes does.**

**Thankyou to all of you who read my last one, and I hope you guys are paying attention or else you won't even realise that this sequel is here!**

**Please feel free to review, and if you have a something wrong with my work, don't tell me my work is boring or crap, tell me what's actually wrong with it so I can actually fix it. If you fail to comply with such a simple request, you will have your comment removed for its meaninglessness. Sorry, but that keeps on happening to me ^_^; ...**

_Prologue: A typical day at school_

"Sasuke Uchiha. The last of the famed Uchiha clan was destined for great things when he set foot into this very academy, and began takin his first lessons as a pre Genin student, just like yourselves." The teacher began.

There had been a lot of groans and sighs from the class as the kids rolled their eyes. Their parents had been in the war no doubt and had told them everything to know about the dreaded Uchiha than the could bear, and now they were being formally lectured on it.

From Uchiha Madara and the great Seniu Hashirama, to Itachi the mass murderer, to the akatsuki and 'tobi' who was apparently actually Obito, and now Sasuke, the final leg of the tragic clan's doomed tale. Of course for the sake of laws not to be mentioned outside of ANBU, anything such as the cause of the massacre, or Sasukes actual intentions, and to some extent Obito's identity were all excluded and any other material that could fall on the wrong ears.

To be honest, not one of the students in the room really cared though, except for one that is, who happens to be the wrong ears in question.

In the front most row, furthest from the window a young boy with midnight hair and emerald green eyes was staring, breath held, trembling with excitement. All his life, Haruno Itachi had no idea why, but for some reason he had been named after, and spiritually drawn to anything Uchiha or Sasuke and Itachi related.

He felt that there was something so deep about the tragic struggles of the once great clan, all of which were sadly eliminated by one of their own kind. It was his obsession in the same way a young boy would love dinosaurs or studying ancient civilisations. In his opinion, Konoha as it used to be before Sasuke WAS an ancient civilisation. He was so intrigued, as he leant closer to the teacher, ready to hear about his favourite tragedy.

"He held great talent, and was regarded as one of the strongest in his four man team, alongside three other super powers if the village, including the Hokage himself, Uzumaki Naruto. He was trained under the guidance of Hatake Kakashi, who to this date is the only living person in the world to possess a sharingan." He continued. After getting his stats and a brief family historical explanation out of the way, what he actually DID to become a terrifying, menace and an S ranked criminal became the topic.

"Many people often blamed his clan's bitter nature as displayed with the unfortunate Obito case, and that his morale was simply broken beyond repair. Others say that it was a psychological side affect of the sharingans nature. Some blame the wrong influences, and a couple too many misfortunes. All of this interestingly enough is true, and is also the reason as ninja you all must remember how dangerous power can be when put in the wrong hands, and how our own emotions and ..." The teacher then went of to finish with a lecture about power, self restraint, loyalty, and accepting misfortune.

It was here that Itachi sighed and closed his eyes. That story always gave him an adrenaline rush, and coming down off it he usually felt worn out and tired.

He ignored the obvious moral and point of the story being told, and tried to imagine what that must have been like, to live in those times, and to be tortured that way. Call him an Uchiha sympathiser and he'd confirm it. He always was thinking in his head of how different it could have turned out, or how it didn't have to happen that way. He thought about how it felt to BE Sasuke, having to kill his own brother, and then lose his mind.

The side effects of the sharingan also seemed so terrifying, and sinister. It had the power to alter your personality, and with hatred alone grow to start wars over petty things. He was always trying to think of a way that he could possibly...

Fix it... Yes as foolish as it sounds, Itachi wondered what could have happened to have fixed the whole thing, and stopped them from falling. It ate away at him, but he fed his obsession with heavy enthusiasm.

Unfortunately many other kids his age didnt really care.

"Excuse me, Iruka sensei, isn't it true that you actually taught the damn kid, thus giving him the tools to go psycho in the first place?" Came the loud annoying voice of Inuzuka Kunari, the son of Hana, nephew of one of the Konoha twelve Kiba.

His dog Haki yipped in agreement.

Iruka froze at the front of the room facing twenty four pairs of eyes all boring straight into his soul awaiting his answer.

"Uh... Eh... Well... Only the really basic stuff... Nothing drastic or anything... " he muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

He was getting too old for this crap. He had to find a new job. All the kids narrowed their eyes and began shouting and jeering and making chaos, some taking Kunari's theory even further as to whom else they could blame, and others just took the chance to start up their own conversation.

In the seat closest to the window, Nara Shikaroku yawned, gazing at a particularly interesting bird. Contrary to his old man, Shikaroku tended to be more distracted than deep in thought, which was something that his father and he were currently working on. For now though he couldn't help it. The only thing that brought him out of his daydreaming was the loud shouts and snippets of Kunari's theory.

Curious he turned to look straight at Itachi. He was neutral decidedly to avoid trouble, hence he had no 'friends' but the Haruno kid was the closest thing to it, as he was aware of the company that he provided to the young boy.

"Hey weasel, don't look so down. You know dog face likes to just pick on all that crap you like to piss you off," a foreign voice declared.

Both boys, Nara and Haruno turned their gazes to meet with Nejiraiya who was sitting in the row just behind them, his hands behind his head, and his book closed. He had finished this lesson years ago, simply by asking his dad. As a matter of fact, thanks to his lineage, he had almost aced the class out of pure luck, but the cockiness that was brought on by his success was enough to change your mind about him.

"Can it white eyes, you're even worse." Was all the now angry boy had to say. Nejiraiya sprang to attention at the mention of his bloodline which wasn't often spoken of around public due to the experimental nature of his birth.

"Hey shut the hell up! At least the Hyuuga aren't the scum of Konoha like those emos you love so much!" he shouted in retaliation. He lunged at the sour, monotonous kid and wrestled him as Iruka tried to calm everyone down.

Shikaroku just sighed and tried to catch some sleep. He wasn't of any use here.

"Totonana... Such a drag..." He muttered into his desk, uttering his favourite meaningless interjection, accompanied by a good old fashioned Nara catch phrase.

Iruka just groaned and opened up his desk. He pulled out a satchel and then out of it he yanked his hand and threw the mild explosive onto the floor to get their attention.

They all were silent as they stared wide eyes at their livid teacher.

"That's enough for today, you can all be excused. We will discuss the history of Konoha again next week when we touch on our last module, the fourth shinobi world war. Please take your foul behaviour and your workbooks HOME with you and I will fail anyone who doesn't complete this request." He shouted at them.

To his relief, they all hastily complied.


	2. Introducing Maito Taira

Just a heads up! The first half of this Fic is actually a bunch of character introduction, and explaining the environment and relationships that exist in the world Itachi is living in. There are hints at story lines both past and future and those will be discussed later. The first half will be more or less "days in the lives of Konoha kids" and then the second half commences after they've become Genin in which there will be a small time skip.

Please bear with me! *cries*

Chapter one : Maito Taira - The She Beast of Konoha

It was bright but windy as the students of the academy all filed out of the school, some more enthusiastically than others. Parents came to greet their children, and some kids ran off home with friends.

Kunari skidded to a halt at the gates of the school, his pup nearly falling out of his backpack. He grinned deviously spying a certain Haruno sulking at the front gates on a bench awaiting his sure to be late godfather.

"Hey, where's the old guy? Pervin' on your mom again?" He burst into laughter as the heavy blush on the boys face crept along.

Kakashi's odd attraction to his mother clearly hadn't died out, and all the kids in the academy remembered what happened when Sakura had ended up substituting for a few special lessons in medical ninjutsu, and other health related factors of ninja life which coincided with a "special girls lesson" and a "special boys lesson" in which a separate male teacher had been assigned to.

Yes it had been one of 'those' lessons, and during the girls one Kakashi happened to appear at the wrong time, in the wrong place during a very wrong conversation and from that day forward, his famous last words of that day in relation to a certain kunoichi's breast size would live on to be the biggest running on gag in Academy history.

Itachi would never live it down either, that his godfather and mentor had made such a fool of himself, and yet somehow claimed to be the greatest copy ninja of all time.

"Oh please, he only does that to stir the pot, he'd never actually spy on mom like that." Was his half-hearted retaliation. This comment was accompanied by a sidelong glare and clenched fists. As unorthodox as his mentor was, he was still above the taunting school kids who plagued his days.

A short distance away, Nejiraiya and his little sister Haruka happened upon their conversation. Haruka blushed and sighed knowing what to expect from her brother, and Nejiraiya simply laughed at the memory, adding in;

"Yeah that old perv sure is something!" He then, out of respect added, "He's a good ninja though, not too bad a guy if you get past the boring factor." Kunari shrugged and grunted in reluctant agreement. Itachi nodded to his somewhat rival in thanks.

"Sorry about strangling ya by the way, you just crossed the line a little y'know?" He spoke to Itachi. He rolled his eyes and growled out, " I didnt cross the line by being honest, youre just touchy, halfbreed."

Nejiraiya shouted in reply, " hey shut up! At least I know who my parents are! At least I can say I'm a 'halfbreed' of two of the greatest ninjas of all time, and not some reject sasuke wannabe!" he drew back to punch him in the face, but his sister stopped him.

Itachi sighed and ignored him. As far as he was concerned he hadn't crossed the line at all. Mentioning "white eyes" in relation to the Byakugan was nothing new, and several people didnt actually realise that the Hyuuga clan members sometimes found being referred to as such was practically its own form of a racial slur.

But in all honesty, it was true. The Byakugan was the name for the technique which was identifiable by white eyes, not that Nejiraiya or his sister actually had white eyes. They had for some odd reason been born sporting deep blue irises akin to their fathers. Haruka lacked visible pupils however making her look more authentic and akin to the original clan sect despite her blonde hair.

"Aww you guys are no fun, all forgiving each other and crap. I'm outta here, later!" Kunari shouted, leaping off into a run.

"Who said I forgave you? You act like nothing's happened, and then you go and do it all over again!" Nejiraiya shouted, and then dragging his sister along, he stormed off to go home.

Soon afterward the lone boy was the last of four kids still waiting at the academy. He curiously turned to inspect who his company were. There was a girl he didnt know too well as she had been new to the school a few weeks ago, but she seemed okay. She caught his gaze and blushed turning away. She always did that.

He knew these symptoms could be indicative of several things, but he didnt linger on that thought for too long.

Beside her was two other girls, both of them in the lower younger grade, and were probably here for the regular school that the academy also offered. Haruka was in that class he noted, as he had spoken with his little sister about it several times. She seemed to have a polar opposite relationship with the Hyuuga-Uzumaki girl than he did with Nejiraiya, which was to some extent a relief.

His sister was one of these girls, and she appeared to be just as bored as him, despite her friend. The older girl spoke to them, and he listened.

"Emiko chan, your dress is so nice! Is it new?" She complimented quietly. His sister, Emiko who was currently only seven, just shrugged and said something he didnt hear.

"Do you remember me?" The girl continued, "My mother works at the dress shop that made it for you. I can recognise the fabric." She explained. Emiko made an 'oh' with her lips and then smiled softly.

The other girl spoke up, "Yume nee chan, are you waiting for your mom right now?" She cocked her head to the side, her blonde hair falling loosely out of her ponytail. She was Inoko from the Nara clan as far as he knew, but her mother was Yamanaka Ino.

A lot of families had merged over the last ten years he noted. Soon there would be totally brand new ones, and all the old ones would be milestones in history. He wondered if his father had been anyone of importance.

He had suspected that Kakashi might be his father, but was ashamed to admit it. Other theories of his involved less pleasant circumstances, but from what he could tell his mother hadn't had any encounter of the sort before. Some kids made rumours and sarcastic jokes that he was actually the son of Uchiha Itachi, which was why he'd be named after him, but time and history completely state that Itachi was dead not too long before his mother had even become pregnant so unless she had a thing for dead guys it probably wasn't gonna happen... Or didnt happen rather. It was more likely that Sasuke somehow had been his father, but he was said to have been executed years before he was born too, so that didnt work out either. It was a mystery.

He was so busy thinking that he didnt realise the large pair of eyes staring straight into his face.

Actually... They caught him well off guard.

"Aaah! What the hell?" He jumped back and averted his face from the uncomfortably close girl who grinned impossibly wide at the reaction it had.

He growled at her, "oh god what do you want?" She laughed heartily and then announced in the usual fashion,

"Is it so bad that I find pleasure in breaking your ever serious contemplation and deep thought in such a comic fashion? Ha! You should have seen your face!" She stood up straight and laughed some more. Her shining black hair blinding him as she stood at just the right angle in the sun, Maito Taira adjusted the ribbons on her braids and then folded her arms across her chest.

"So your mentor is taking forever as usual?" She inquired in a gloating fashion. He rolled his eyes and wondered what woman in her right mind let a man like Gai marry her, let alone produce such a foul creature of a child.

"Actually I'm sitting here for my own health now if you please I'd like to be left alone." He stated firmly. She wasn't convinced.

She drew back her breath to speak but before she knew it the seat before her was empty in a puff of sudden smoke. Enraged that she had been duped, she whipped her head around looking for him, teeth gritted. She wasn't going to let him get away with this. Plus, those girls over there were laughing at her now. She cast a particularly icy glare at the oldest girl, whom she knew as "competition"

Now she wasn't quite old enough for this type of thinking, but regardless she was more aware of things like that than most other girls her age as she was a quicker developer in most aspects.

"Quit laughing and tell me where he went!" She shouted in annoyance.

Yume, the other girl, just shook her head and waved a finger wiggling wave back at her.

Confused at the gesture, Taira turned around, and then the other way but couldn't see what the heck she was waving and giggling at.

Itachi was beside himself with her obliviousness. He was ghosting her every movement, turning as she did, wondering how long it would take for her to notice.

Normally her challenges where twice as bad, and ten times more physical, like that one time she challenged him to a backwards running race that he somehow got stuck doing, and he ended up having such bad bruises on his bottom that he couldn't sit for a week afterwards, or that other time when she decided to use him for target practice and Kakashi somehow consented to it, locking them in a training room, laughing his ass off.

Kakashi made up the excuse that if he was made to suffer Gai's challenges and survive, then Itachi was to also experience this torture, but at times like this he actually LIKED the challenges. Tormenting her with simple witty behaviour and other impulsive hair brained actions reminded him that he was a kid, and plus, he liked to confuse her. He tried not to laugh as she bent over backwards and he nearly missed it, backing over just in time.

His sister and her friend were giggling furiously and Taira was red in the face.

She stood up and grit her teeth, a brand new determination set in her mind. By now she knew that he was behind her, and she wasn't seemingly able to catch him off guard. This was annoying, and humiliating as the younger generation watched the future greatest kunoichi in Konoha get duped by a silly Kakashi loving prick.

She grinned and then her stance changed,

"Such childish tricks and games won't get you far with me! What do you take me for Haruno?" She announced, preparing for her ultimate anti-ghosting attack.

"A fool, and hyper active." He announced in a dull fashion, aware that she now knew of his whereabouts. Then to his shock, with one swift movement she suddenly spun on her toes in an impossibly quick fashion, consequentially knocking him square in the side and sending him flying straight into a tree.

A little disoriented and thoroughly pissed off, he lurched up and groaned in frustration.

"You, are going to pay for that!" He hissed pointing at her, shaking with rage.

She lifted both medium thick eyebrows and grinned expectantly, not phased in the slightest after her spinning attack, much to his further irritation. She swung her hips playfully and placed her hands on her hips, bending forward and staring at him she purred,

"Ita-chwan, how could you? You wouldn't hurt a pretty girl like me would you?" Her eyes went gooey and she pouted her lips, tilting her head to the side.

He froze half out of irritation, half sickened by the girly display, and then shook it off, simply replying,

"No offence Taira, but you are just about the ugliest girl I've ever met." He stated blankly, almost reminiscent of his mentors blunt and emotionless demeanour.

She gasped dramatically wrenching her braids tightly and then screamed at the insult, horrified, while Yume and the two little girls tried not to laugh as the petty fight continued comically. Yume didn't think Taira was THAT ugly, but she sure wasn't a looker that was for sure. She doubted by their teens that would still be true though.

Taira ran up to Itachi having cornered him finally after a series of punching and missing, and only one triumphant kick that seemed to be the reason as to why she had turned the tables in the first place. He was cradling his now numb side, the same one she had hit before with her spinning attack, and the. Screamed as she aimed for another harsh blow.

He winced but the pain never came. Slowly he opened up his eyes and then sat up slowly and carefully in relief. There was Kakashi reading his book as usual, a reprint of a special edition as the cover made clear, squatting casually, one arm extended all the way, his hand firmly around Taira's assaulting foot. She paused in shock, and stared at him confused.

"Uh... Oh... Kakashi sensei, I ... Uh..." She took back her foot and then stood at attention, slinging her arms behind her back avoiding eye contact.

Kakashi chuckled and ruffled her hair contentedly.

"Don't apologise sweetie, you fight well just don't tell Gai I said that or I won't hear the end of it. Itachi stop abusing girls. Your mother would be disappointed you know." He spoke to them both at the same time. Taira grinned and squealed that her fighting skills had been approved of, but Itachi groaned in defeat. Calling her ugly wasn't abusing her for crying out loud! That was nonsense!

He held his tongue though as Taira finally leapt up into a hyperactive skip as she made her way home.

Yume inched up to Kakashi and Itachi, a little concerned for her classmate, Emiko approaching as Kakashi was also her escort home.

"Are you okay?" She whispered to Itachi. He stood up and brushed himself off, his pride sore but he nodded.

" it's nothing I can't handle." He mumbled. He nodded to Emiko and she left Yumes side for his.

"Kakashi San, why were you late?" She spoke in her little soft voice. Kakashi shrugged and said, "Emiko chan you would not believe the size of the puddle I fell in!" He explained animatedly to her, she perked up and listened eager to hear his story.

Nowadays instead of his usual cheap stories and one liners he had taken a liking to telling stories to amuse his favourite god-child, although he would never tell Itachi that. Or perhaps me might just to piss him off. Who knew.

Itachi trailed along rolling his eyes at the older ninjas story and sighed. One day he swore he'd stop losing to girls! Especially... Her...

...End chapter one...


	3. Introducing Hyuuga-Uzumaki Nejiraiya

**Chapter Two: Introducing Hyuuga-Uzumaki Nejiraiya!**

**So here we find the second story which is all about Nejiraiya and his... Um... Struggles? I guess being only being born due to a bunch of old guys wanting to experiment with inter clan breeding is kind of a harsh fact to discover. We will also see deeper into why he dislikes Itachi so much, and other various points. Look forward for some funniness between the two as well! It's not all just angst I promise!**

Nejiraiya grumbled and shook with rage, his tight grip unintentionally becoming tighter around his little sisters wrist.

She yelped as he yanked her around a sharp corner, pleading with him to slow down.

"Nii San, nii San, you're hurting me! Slow down!" She cured again. He skidded to a stop, causing her to fly into his back from the sudden halt. He released her wrist and then sighed.

His eyes closed and his jaw clenched he shook his head and simply muttered, "One day Haruka you'll know why he pisses me off so much." He began to shuffle forward, slowly, and hunched over unconsciously. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at the ground as it passed his feet. He didnt really bump into anyone or anything as he was used to walking this way.

Although you'd never know it talking to him, he was quite depressed at times for such a happy natured kid. Even though he was only ten, it was made clear to him at a very young age what his purpose in life really was, or at least how he was seen by some, and it wasn't pretty.

Haruka was only a little baby, so he'd have to have been four or five when it happened, but it still was vivid in his mind. He had been staying at his Aunt Hanabi's big clan residence and was playing with some older kids who were already in the academy. They were his cousins or second cousins or something like that and they were playing ninja, but using real techniques.  
Everything was going just fine, until suddenly one of them began to quarrel with another one. Nejiraiya thought nothing of it, as children always bickered over little things, such as this fight was started over who was better in skill than the other. Some nasty words were exchanged, but he ignored them.

It was when one of them, Kiako his name was, lunged at the other boy when he saw it happen.

The strange mark on Kiako's forehead acted up and he dropped to the ground screaming, his cousin Hiro just staring at him angrily. Several clan members rushed to the boy's aid, Hiro's father smacking him straight across the face, causing Kiako to reduce his screams to a heap of muffled sobs.

Nejiraiya stared between the two boys, his eyes darting back and forth before he locked his gaze with Hiro.

"HEY! What the heck did you do to Kiako? You deserved to be hit you stuck up snob!" He shouted suddenly, tears of fear and confusion welling up in his eyes. It was Hiro's reply that truly hurt him though,

"Shut up you filthy half breed, your just as bad as them! At least the branch are useful, but you're just a mutant posing as a Hyuuga." He hissed. Hiro's father hollered at him in a way he'd never seen any man get angry before, and another good smack across the face was earned. That boy, who was now in his teens or older had from that day forward made it a point to remind Nejiraiya of his experimental status, although how he even knew about that was beyond him.

Perhaps he'd over heard the older members talking about it, but whatever. The grown ups all loved him, and supported him, and that helped to know he had both branch and main on his side, as well as a promising new sect that he would be the head of in the future, but it still stung. What if he proved to be a failure? He hadn't even been able to use his Byakugan properly yet. Time and time he'd tried but his blind spot was a whole whopping 90 degrees angle behind him to his left, and he couldn't hold it for long before passing out.

He sighed. He was troubled for a kid his age, it was true. Thankfully he was also for the most part resilient. Those claims filled with hate didnt last long on him as he took after his father. He would just have to prove himself to them, and not let them tell him who he was. He smirked at his resolve and his pace picked up.

Suddenly however, he was brought out of his somber thoughts when a familiar voice entered his awareness.

"And then what happened?" Emiko urged as Kakashi continued to describe the killer goldfish, with six thousand teeth that he was forced to battle in the magic puddle he'd fallen into earlier supposedly.

"I was stuck inside it's belly, but I knew that it would be easy to get out! I made some seals and cloned myself over and over agin until there were so many of me, he exploded! Good thing I was in the water though or I'd still be covered in fish guts!" He lied.

Nejiraiya perked up and laughed at the absurd story, "Hey! You stole dad's idea! He blew up a snake like that when he was only twelve!" He grinned proudly, recalling the tale of the chuunin exams that he'd been told not too long ago.

Kakashi sweat dropped but simply chuckled and shrugged, "well a giant goldfish, no matter how many teeth can easily be taken down! I didn't think anything too flashy was needed." He excused his use of the move that Naruto had made famous somehow.

"That was one of Orochimarus snakes, which means it was over twice as strong as a regular snake, Kakashi sensei, that move IS flashy, so either the Goldfish was really strong, or your just being flashy." Itachi added to piss off his mentor who was currently ignoring him.

Kakashi and Emiko gave him identical, minus the mask for Kakashi, sad faces crying in unison, "YOU RUINED IT!" And Emiko crossed her arms and pouted.

Kakashi patted her shoulder and said, "It's okay Emi chan, I'll think up a better story next time!" He promised her. She squealed and bounced eager to hear the next story.

Itachi and Nejiraiya exchanged awkward glances in that moment. Haruka groaned hoping that another fight wasn't about to ensue.

Kakashi saw another tiff in the making so he decided that Emiko might be able to have her funny story now rather than later.

"My goodness how you two boys have grown?" He exclaimed suddenly. Clasping his hands together in mischief he chuckled as the two boys suddenly stopped to look at him, questioning his motives in saying something odd like that...

"Why it feels like only yesterday I was giving you two a bath together at Sakuras house! You two were so cute back then!" He announced, causing their two sisters to burst into uncontrollable laughter, the two boys screaming looking at each other horrified.

Instantly Nejiraiya was brought out of his clan related sulking, and it was replaced with pure shame at the thought of bathing with another boy, namely his self proclaimed worst enemy. Itachi just coughed embarrassed and closed his eyes walking forward hastily to try and get away. Haruka and Emiko giggled, talking and whispering to each other about their brothers and Kakashi grinned underneath his mask contented that he'd gotten revenge.

They made a split at the next turn, and the two Hyuuga-Uzumaki children made their way home. They were greeted by the suspicious smell of ramen of some grand design coming from the kitchen.

Nejiraiya grinned and bolted to the kitchen, catching his dad and several clone-dads cooking and cleaning in the small kitchen that belonged to their little private residence. It was a smaller home that had been designed to house the children in for heir safety and it was a short ways away from the main house which was more for the grown ups, and staff to live in now, until the two children where older and able to handle the austerity of it.

Many Hokage before Naruto had had children of course, but when they did, they were never in the main residence for the safety of their lives and identity even back during darker times. Consequentially this newly renovated home was just continuation of tradition.

"DAD!" He shouted, running up and hugging the first one he saw that wasn't busy, accidentally dispelling a clone with the impact of his hug. He blinked confused but then laughed heartily at his idiocy. He rubbed the back on his head and grinned sheepishly with a blush on his face as all the dad clones grinned back and said in unison,

"Slow down kid!"

One of them said, "you'll slow down dinner if you dispel us all son, the boss is upstairs if you want him." He gestured with a thumb up and Nejiraiya nodded. Clearly the real Naruto didn't want to get back logged with work due to his permission to cook dinner.

He left the kitchen and leapt up the stairs two at a time and ducked under the small desk, clambering up into his fathers lap snuggling up to him with content. He was a big kid now, but not too big for cuddles, right?

"Heh, heh... Hey there Neji kun, you excited for my latest crazy ramen creation?" He inquired, amused with his sons snugly behaviour.

"Yeah! It smells good so far! What did you do with this batch, dad?" He asked excitedly.

"It's a secret! Plus I hope you don't mind spice, because I accidentally made two clones fetch the peppers, so there's double chillies in it... I might water yours and your sisters down a bit... My bad!" He admitted chuckling guiltily. It was okay though.

"Hey dad, so long as you never let Uncle Lee cook for us ever again I'll be fine." He stated bluntly. That curry was a work of the devil and he knew it.

Naruto burst into laughter and buried his head in his arms on the desk, bent over and pounding one of his fists on it.

He was interrupted by a clone sent back up to report to him that dinner was ready now.

They both got up and went to get ready to eat. Before he left for his room though Nejiraiya paused and then asked in a serious tone,

"Dad, did I ever used to take baths with Sakuras kids when I was little?" He winced, not wanting to mention Itachis name.

Narutos face was unreadable for a second or two, before he smiled and chuckled saying,

"Ah yeah, that's right! Heh, you guys used to be so cute, ttebayou!" He chuckled again and then left the hallway, his son suddenly back to his mortified state.

Stupid Sasuke emo... How dare he be bathed in the same tub as him and then get called 'cute'... It was disgraceful.

Haruka stepped in at the tail of the conversation. She blushed and then added for her brothers comfort, "Kakashi sempai once told me that Itachi kun had pink hair once... Did you ever know that?" She giggled.

"WHAT? PINK HAIR?!" He exclaimed... Oh this was too good...

End Chapter Two.

**Heh he he... See? Kakashi knew what he was talking about when he told Sakura about the blackmail theory! Heeheeheeeeeee**

**Also, sorry about the angst. I just figured I wanted Nejiraiya to be a reverse Neji. Also Hyuuga Hiro will appear a few times too. He represents old fashioned thinking and evidence that prejudice still exists among the clan, even if the elders no longer think in that way. Hiashi is still alive but is older obviously. Just so you know.**


	4. The Monster and The Girl - Hohito Yume

**Chapter Three: The monster and the little girl... Introducing Hohito Yume**

**And here it is! The long awaited return of Sasuke and Sakura into the story! Well only sasuke this time...You've all had a thousand questions regarding the sad couple, but that's all gonna be answered now! No more waiting!**

**Plus this next part of the story is important to the actual plot, as will be most of the chapters with Sasuke in them. Consider the character intro and development chapters to be fillers while I work out the kinks in the main story, but they're worth it fillers, as you actually don't know these characters yet therefore making them necessary. Lol**

**Please read and review and thanks for heaps of new follows! Also this is my longest chapter yet! **

Kakashi arrived home with the two kids, not surprised in the least to see that Sakura was leaving.

"Off to do some errands Sakura?" He asked casually. She nodded knowing what he meant. Sakura hadn't stopped seeing Sasuke, even though it annoyed him with paranoia to no humanly describable extent.

"Huh? Mommy, Itachi fought a girl today!" Emiko chimed up always eager to get her stuffy brother in trouble. Itachi scowled and stomped his foot, "She's less than human! You could mistake her for her idiot brother she's that hideous!" He blurted not considering the consequences.

Sakura paused and glared at him for a moment before suing and resigning to leaving without a word. Itachi was always fighting with Gai's daughter nowadays and what annoyed her most was that Itachi played into it so easily. Couldn't he just take after his father and 'play it cool' and ignore her? Honestly, she thought Kakashi even might be of assistance in that matter but he proved to be aggravating it purely out of spite towards his half friend half foe.

The two kids stared on as their mother made off without a word. Normally she'd say goodbye or ask how their day went, and by all means normally she stayed for dinner. What the heck was up her knickers?

Itachi sighed feeling ashamed of himself and Emiko was indifferent. She hopped along to her room to play while Itachi did his homework. Kakashi took his usual station in the living room, keeping an eye on the time. Soon he'd have to preform the irritating task of trying to cook.

Time ticked away...

*Hours earlier that day, Konoha Prison, west courtyard*

Now, Konoha like any other village had its issues, and one of them was funding. The prison in which Sasuke had been moved to was in bad disrepair but due to his very extremely special circumstance she was held here. He and only two other in,ages occupied this third section which hadn't been fixed due to running out of money, and parts of it were still under construction, such as this area in which we find out moody convict.

"Okay duck butt, here's the deal." Kiba announced as he sat down next to Sasuke.

"You were tied to a chair for years, and can't use jutsu anymore, couldn't move anything aside from your face, and somehow you knocked her up twice..." He prodded.

Sasuke winced at the harsh use of colloquial language in relation to the miracle of childbirth that he had blessed his girlfriend with twice.

"If you're trying to invoke some 'information' out of me on the matter then I highly suggest you go and stick your oversized nose up your dogs ass. You'll get more of an answer there then out of me. Understood?" He replied icily.

He turned to face the irritating jounin and smiled sarcastically, his eyes closed.

"Gee, you sure Sai and you aren't related somehow? You look just like him minus the whole emo lions mane look you got going on..." He muttered out the side of his mouth.

Sasuke reached for his walking crutches and left the bench they were currently occupying. He didnt have to put up with this nonsense. Confused, Kiba sat there exchanging glances with Akamaru before realising that he was abandoning his duty.

"Aaah! Wait up! Stop I have to monitor you, you dipstick!" He leapt onto Akamaru and followed him to the other side of the courtyard.

Sasuke had been trusted enough by the council and Naruto had played a good enough 'lawyer' that Sasuke had been granted probation in which he was permitted to reside in the highest security public prison, which included rehabilitation for his body and mobility. At first he simply couldn't walk and his muscles had deteriorated terribly, but after the first few years he was almost completely back to normal.

Unfortunately, due to the effects of the seal on his eyes, which were due to be redone soon, he was still terribly weak, and would be subject to dizziness, partial to near blindness in the future and he was uneasy of two feet. Still, it was freedom in his eyes.

After Sakura had given him his baby girl, whom he hadn't met yet... The council threw an epic tantrum when they found out Itachi had visited that one day and had been distrustful of him ever since... He had been transported to this area where his identity remained a secret still, the other inmates weren't an issue. They were all locked up or too subdued to do anything about it even if they knew.

To his disgust he had been requested to NOT sore anymore children which meant that his sex life was extremely rare now and was even monitored, as he was not only watched when visiting with Sakura but also interrogated by idiots like Kiba.

Also it hurt him... Just because Itachi was meant to be a special circumstance didnt mean that his little girl was any threat. If anything, from what Sakura had told him, she was more like her mother than anything. Cursed blood or not, she was being raised with the right values.

Of course however he knew there was more to it than his feared blood... Sooner or later his children would become suspicious and the secrecy of their heritage might get out. Now that his son had reached a full ten years of age... Well... Anyway.

Thing were getting tougher. Soon enough they'd disallow Sakura to even visit him under the excuse that their kids would find out. Just his luck, his son apparently had formed an Uchiha obsession and was already antisocial with the children of some of the best clans in the village.

"Oh brother... Why is our life so difficult? Is it because we're born into a ninjas life that we are made to suffer our whole lives always having to sacrifice those that we love for the sake of safety and peace for ungrateful citizens of a simple country?" He uttered drenched with melancholy.

Kiba sniggered and commented on his soliloquy, "okay Hamlet lets not contemplate suicide next or anything..." He skidded to a halt with Akamaru as he finally caught up with him. He grunted in half amusement.

"That's odd... Of all people you're the last I expected to make a Shakespeare connection with my miserable life. Perhaps you're more cultured than I thought." He dared to throw the partial compliment his way. Kiba shrugged and said,

"Yeah well, everyone's got a sob story, or they're living some kind of real life soap opera. I picked up the lit reference making from my brother in law. I dunno how he handles my sister though." he trailed off to himself wondering if his girlfriend should he get one would be so vastly different from himself.

Sasuke nodded, now that Kiba had calmed down maybe he could enjoy the rest of his evening break from the cell. Kiba was still oddly day dreaming after that so Sasuke took the time to walk away as far as he could without Akamaru getting wary.

He sat down in the grass and leant up against a concrete garden border, just tall enough to reach the middle of his back. He began to nap out of boredom, contemplating what he'd try to do to avoid Sakura getting banned from seeing him, even if he somewhat agreed to the circumstances. He'd even scolded her a few times for visiting too often and was becoming ever so paranoid about it.

As he was nodding off, a strange noise caught his attention. Kiba appeared to be snoring now as was the dog beside him. The security was severe here so he didnt really need Kiba there, but at least he felt more private now.

However, somehow although how in hell he'd still be asking to this day, what caught his attention was the worried high pitched whisper of a little girl.

He let his eyes open fully and he glanced over to the fence on his left. He gasped, amazed that someone had broken through the genjutsu surrounding the prison... The little girl and two older boys, one of them an Inuzuka nonetheless, the other one looked suspiciously Hyuuga although he couldn't see very well from this distance.

The little girl was a petite girl with a dark red shade of hair, she seemed about ten or younger and was seemingly being ushered by the two boys closer to the wire fence which was normally disguised as a thick concrete wall (which it once had been but construction hadn't been paid for yet due to cut funds so patches of it were still wire and wood just waiting to be finished), plus there were only three inmates in this prison section as mentioned before and the other two were held in underground cells like Sasuke used to be.

Interestingly enough the other two were none other than Suigetsu, and Juugo who was being treated with even higher caution than Sasuke.

He strained his ears to hear what they were talking about.

"Look at the state of this place! It's meant to hold criminals of the highest sort and they've neglected the outer defence. What kinds of idiot is this village run by?" The supposed Inuzuka bragged about his discovery.

"Hah! Idiot indeed. The numbskull is so profoundly stupid, that he thought that marrying into our clan would somehow give him the right to force us to change our traditions!" The older kid added, clearly Hyuuga and with that classic but old fashion aloofness about his tone.

He pushed the little girl closer to the fence.

"Y-you know, you don't have to do this guys... I ... I... I promise I'll do anything you tell me too, just NOT THIS!" The girl stammered. The boys laughed condescendingly at her and then the Inuzuka spoke,

"You were the one who got in our way you little brat, and now we get to teach you a lesson about humiliating chuunins during their training! Who do you think you are anyway? You're just a Suna reject!" He threw at her.

Her breath audibly broke up into sobs at the mention of her original home. She had been orphaned in one of Sunas massive natural disasters and had been sent to live in Konoha due to lack of supplies in the sandy wind country. She shouted back at them,

"Fighting fire with fire is only making the issue worse! You can't just humiliate me like this! If I want so weak I'd beat the crap out of the both if you!" She shouted.

"Oh? Really now? A little baby girl like yourself? You talk too much brat!" One of them kicked her causing her to hit the fence.

Sasuke grit his teeth, not just at their treatment of her but at her submission to them. How weak. One of the boys pulled out an item and the girl squealed and lunged for it. The Inuzuka boy yanked it up above her height, making her jump up to try and grab it.

It was a toy of hers of some sort.

"What the hell is this thing anyway? I mean sure Suna's poor and all but you'd think they'd at least TRY to make good toys for their kids." He muttered, enticing a rage filled shriek followed by a series of useless punches to the boys legs and waist. She collapsed in a heap at his feet and simply cried.

"What the heck are you expecting me to do anyway?" She whimpered. The two boys grinned and said something Sasuke didn't hear... Although he tried

"You're going to break into the prison and take that guys crutches. Then you're gonna make a run for it, give us the crutches and we'll give you your pile of rags back, you got it?" One of them whispered.

"And watch out! I hear Uchiha Sasuke died here, he might come back from the dead and kill you if you're not careful" the other added laughing at her horrified face...

She had been taught all about the clan and knew even more about it from what Itachi... Haruno Itachi, had added in class from time to time on the matter. His knowledge of the clan was uncanny and scary almost... Especially the way in which he spoke of them. The venom in which he spoke of Uchiha Itachi whom he had been absurdly named after, and the stark contrast displayed when he spoke so gently and emotionally about Sasuke.

She turned shakily to look at her target. The Inuzuka boy kicked her further into the fence.

"Go on, do it you pussy! Before we change our mind." He said. The Hyuuga hissed afterward, "that junky doll looks pretty flammable don't you think?" He and his teammate laughed as she uttered a final whimper of defeat.

She got up and looked over the fence from side to side, up and down. There were no openings but it seemed to be worn out. She'd be able to tear up the fence from the base and slip under it. How did they leave such a place like this in such shape? She began to pull it away and then finally slipped under it cutting herself only lightly on the backs of her legs.

She cursed herself for getting in the way of those boys training. She hadn't meant to trip them over causing them to yank down their sensei's pants, then knocking all three of them into the river. All she had done was practice her earth quaking skills and caused them to lose their balance...

Okay maybe she deserved this. She shouldn't be trying to use elemental jutsu at her age of inexperience. But ever since she'd discovered her talent she had been keen on using it wherever she could even if it was dangerous.

She leapt up to her feet and then quietly shuffled her way over to Sasuke... He assumed the position of sleeping and waited for her to approach.

The other two boys edged closer to watch, amazed that she'd actually done it. They were going to let her off after a while but not before they tormented her a little longer.

She finally came within a few steps away from him, and reached out for his crutches. In that moment he snapped his eyes open and lunged at his grabbing her and cupping his hand over her nose and mouth. He shakily stood up and turns to the boys.

"You two are foolish cowards. You call yourself Konoha's ninja? I call you traitors to send a little girl into danger like this. You're trash and should die, but this little girl will do nicely to sacrifice herself for your sake. What do you say boys?" He growled out, his eyes glinting ever so slightly red behind the seal on his sharingan. It still appeared, his sharingan, but the black markings instead formed the shape of a seal akin to the one on Narutos stomach but smaller.

But they wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

The boys finally broke from their petrifaction and screamed at the top of their lungs, actually running for their lives leaving the little girl behind. He gasped, shocked that they really just did that. Had he been serious, they'd have let this innocent child die over something as petty as humiliation.

Yume, the little girl cried and begged from behind the mans hand, not ready to die just yet. She hadn't seen his eyes yet. He shut them off and dropped her gently on the ground. She froze and flipped over scooting away in shock.

"As for you..." He replied in a less demonic tone, "you're just as weak. If you want to prove yourself as a good ninja unlike them, then by no means should you let falsely prided jerks like the push you around." He squatted down to her level and gently rubbed her face where he had hurt her. It was a mistake. He hadn't meant to squeeze her that way.

She winced and yelped at the touch but then stared at him in confusion.

"You aren't from Konoha, but Suna? Maybe that's why they treat you so badly. Don't make your own people look so pathetic, you represent them! Even if you live here now, you must be loyal to your homeland and show them what the sand shinobi are made of! You're a disgrace to both villages if you do any otherwise."

She whimpered and then said meekly, "why should I take advice from a criminal?" Before she lunged at him, hugging him sobbing in confusion.

"Look girl, I've made sacrifices in my life that I'm not proud of, and they were for unworthy people, but with selfish reasons... Two things that commonly come together. However, I DID at one point know what it meant to be a good noble fighter. I didnt let people push me around and use my fears and desires against me... Well not at first anyway. Eventually I caved in and my whole life changed. You don't want to end up in here do you?"

He pulled her away and stared into her eyes. He wasn't sure if he should be telling her all this... He wasn't giving anything away, but he still felt that if anything, he would be passing on the most precious advice he could to a young mind.

"You're case is vastly different from mine but the point I make is relevant. Don't do stupid things for stupid people unless the motives you have are for the better of everyone else. Even if you lose, you'll still have done the right thing." He walked unsteadily with her over to the fence and the. Fell to his knees helping her out again. She ran away to grab her dropped teddy, and then paused.

She looked back at him and then at her bear, the reason she had done something so stupid. He told her not to make sacrifices for selfish reasons for stupid people... She walked over to him again and then nervously tucked the teddy into his shirt pocket before running away back home. From that day on she wouldn't let people push her around and use her fears and desires against her. And if she were to sacrifice herself it would be for the greater good, not for herself.

He touched the ragged bear curiously, and then glanced over at the still sleeping form of his so called security. He smirked contentedly and pushed the toy back into his shirt pocket.

**Lol, sorry about the randomness of this chapter but it had to be done. Yume plays an important part in the final leg of the story, and I wanted to show Sasukes fatherly side. She isn't a Mary Sue, I've made sure of it. I worked out a good backstory for her which will be explored later. **

**No she is not Gaaras child, she just had deep dark red hair because she came to me in a dream that way. The Hyuuga and the Inuzuka were Hyuuga Hiro from earlier and Kunari's older brother Noburu who is a prick as well. They later ran to their homes screaming that they had encountered a dead Uchiha causing everyone to ridicule them for the next month or two. Kakashi burnt soup somehow, and in the next chapter it picks up straight when Sakura arrives for her weekly visit. Revieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!**


	5. Catching Up

**Chapter four: catching up**

**Hey all! Some people made some confusing assumptions about the other chapter and here is some precautionary clarification.  
Yume is only ten, and not on Hiro or Noburus team, she just interrupted them. They are fourteen or above and appear regularly to torment Nejiraiya and Yume.**

**Also, when I said Karin in the last chapter, I meant Juugo. As is this is the state of team taka:  
Juugo near permanent high security and no probation possibility ever. So far.  
Suigetsu: recently captured again after offences piling up over the years, and being tested for danger ranking at the current time.  
Karin: on probation and over Sasuke. She torments him and Kiba. She is currently looking to join the medic squad in Konoha and is being studied for her abilities.  
Sasuke: in a long term relationship and the closest to getting released aside from Karin. He is being used to calm down Juugo and may be a key person in his rehabilitation.**

**Okay with that out of the way, enjoy this chapter!**

Sasuke sat there staring into space waiting for Kiba to wake up and realise that he was sleeping on e job. He sighed and pulled out the little teddy again.

It was in the shape of a badly sewn bunny rabbit and it had no eyes, a simple 'x' indicating nose and mouth. It's fabric was worn and old, but sturdy. He felt it with his thumb and assumed it must have been crafted from some form of material used for sand bags. He tossed it up and then caught it in his hands.

He smirked. It was heavy, as it was filled with sand. It was literally a sand bag doll.

"Must be some money saving tradition in Suna or something. Resourceful... It's kept for this long since god knows when." He mumbled to himself toying with the little gift he'd received. He glanced at the fence again where she had been. He sighed as he felt like he'd been here before.

Of course he'd literally been there before, in that exact spot seeing as it was his favourite spot, but he had a feeling he'd just done something for that little girl that he had seen done elsewhere.

He shrugged and rubbed a circle with his thumb on the belly of the bunny and stared at it. Suddenly he heard footsteps, and he shoved it into his shirt pocket, his heart skipping a beat.

He glanced up and around, and then sighed in relief. Oh what fun someone could make of a man playing with a stuffed bunny. He chided himself for being so soft. He heard the footsteps again coming from by the fence. Had the girl come back?

He shuffled closer to the fence and peered out curiously.

Suddenly, a foot from behind rested itself on his shoulder. He jumped, exclaiming in irritation that he hadn't sensed her. He was getting weak with his reflexes, sensory wise, despite regaining his strength.

He whipped around and glared at the offending woman.

"Karin...? They never let us out at the same time!" He muttered. Karin just grinned and adjusted her glasses peering at him over the top of them.

He narrowed his eyes and then pushed her foot off, getting up shakily.

He tried to walk back to his spot, but without his crutches he fell face first into her and they both tumbled onto the ground.

"Ah! What the hell Sasuke? I thought you HAD a girlfriend!" She mocked him, laughing heavily, wrapping her arms around the unintentional offender.

He shook her off and violently tried to scramble to his feet as to get away. It was then that Kiba awoke. He sprang up and pointed at them, in utter disbelief, shouting:

"Hey! That's despicable Sasuke teme! Get the hell off her, you're not supposed to spread your cursed seed around anymore than you already have!" He stopped for a minute and then awkwardly added, "oh and Sakura too... Yeah y'know she's kinda already your girlfriend... Heheh..."

Karin cackled and then pushed Sasuke off her, amused as always by her ability to make anything look suggestive, and for the most part bad on Sasukes part. Now that she'd lost all chance of being with him, and had gotten over him years ago, she took pleasure in making his life miserable. She had been on probation for longer than him, and was nearly ready to be released back into public. She had been working with Sakura and other medics intensely as they observed her remarkable ability and she assisted them in their research on her condition.

The ability to heap someone by letting them eat your charka was something highly unheard of, and it was clear as to why orochimaru had taken such an interest in her abilities.

"Ugh, you're the despicable one Kiba, thinking I'd pull a stunt like that... Get me my crutches you imbecile." He droned, getting rather bored with him and Karin.

Kiba complied, but was still laughing at his own little Freudian slip. Karins caretaker/monitor nodded a greeting to Kiba, and he saluted back. Karin wasn't normally let out at the same time as him due to their inability to get along.

Suigetsu was nearly ready to be assessed for danger ranking and might be released soon and even at this early stage, they knew that he would mean even more trouble.

Suigetsu was originally going to be let free with Karin on the condition that they stayed in the village, but after they decided to start a hug fight resulting in several petty and two major offences being committed, they decided to lock them up purely out of spite.

Suigetsu ruined his chances by escaping and running off to continue being a missing ninja, trying to fulfil his swordsman dream, but one sloppy crime too many and he let himself get caught in his excitement. He was caught only three months ago, and there were tests being done. He might be relocated to a regular prison if best case scenario was the case.

Juugo was on hold for obvious reasons, it would take only Sasuke to determine his stability, and that wouldn't be relied on by most people... Sasukes opinion and ability to determine the severity that is.

Kiba lead him to his cell and then with that done he left. A new guard would arrive as soon as visiting hours began.

He waited until Kiba was finally gone before he plucked the bunny out again and stared at it some more. Before he knew it, a little warm feeling filled his chest and he felt his lips teak upwards in a smile. He wondered if his daughter was okay. What was she like? Sakura had told him but he'd never seen her before and unless his son proved well with the next few years of schooling, he never would.

He was indeed being considered for release, but there had been a nasty twist thrown into it. His boy had to prove himself worthy of the safety of the village and the world for that matter. That was their first concern.

Then later in life, most likely near adulthood or late teens at the least they were planning on telling him, in a safe and controlled environment to see how he reacted. If Itachi did anything wrong, the results could be anything from severe punishment to intense therapy depending on what kind of a reaction it was, and Sasuke would never be free. Why? Because those old cranks were still alive. As soon as they cacked naruto promised he'd let him free pronto.

He laughed at that. Naruto wanted him out so badly. He'd make a real security risk out of himself soon. Sasuke kept telling him to ease up or he'd be put out of office, which would land them both in deep trouble.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock. He put away the toy under his pillow and turned to greet the guard.

He dead panned and his head hung when he saw the person on duty.

"Hi asshole! How's it goin?" Sai smiled overly cheerfully, closed eyes and wearing of all things a miniskirt over his usual leggings, his shirt even higher on his waist than usual, several buttons undone at the top... How this guy came up with these questionable attire choices, he had no idea, and he was really getting sick of being called an asshole.

"When do visiting hours start?" He asked in reply.

Sai ignored him and went on to ask him about the episode with those kids and the fence, which to his absolute horror he had seen.

"So I saw you and that little girl by the fence. I think you did a good thing so I won't tell anyone, but I bring it up because I just couldn't resist picking on you about that bunny..."

He trailed off for dramatic effect and then grinned, "oh I'm sorry am I being annoying?"

Sasuke just glared at him.

"Tell anyone what you saw and I'll kill you... Err.. Not literally anyway. I can't risk it." He grumbled. Not wanting to make a major fuss he just sighed and hoped that even if he DID tell anyone they wouldn't believe it.

His salvation from this tedium and tension came in the form of a pink haired kunoichi bearing gifts of a report card and two photos to add to his collection on the wall.

She knocked at the opened door and then Sai nodded politely as to permit her to enter. That was about as far as his politeness went.

"Now remember to keep it chaste, yeah? Don't want anymore pink haired Sasukes running around!" He teased them with the well known sore subject. They both growled at him. Everyone was seemingly taking pleasure in picking on them about that. Oh come on, like no couple had ever done it in a jail cell before! For crying out loud. At least they were doing it in private!

Sakura shook her head and leapt at him, hugging him tightly, nuzzling into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and let a soft smile exist although in the presence of a certain guard. Then again Sai seemed to have turned to his book and wasn't paying attention.

Sakura pulled away and then sat down next to him photos at the ready.

"Okay, so what have the brats done this time?" He asked as she whipped out the first one.

"Oh my goodness Sasuke I wish you had been there! Remember when I told you that Shikamarus son was starting to hang out with Itachi? Well the other day I was vacuuming when I heard them shouting in Itachis room. I went to see what was going on and I caught them playing ninjas! Look! He looks like you right here!" She babbled quickly and almost unintelligibly. Sasuke picked it all up though and nodded, smirking. He had also been eager to join the ninja life, but hadn't any friends to share it with.

Sakura went on to babble about how they were playing akatsuki, and Itachi was playing Itachi and Shikaroku was playing his dad. It was of course a highly unrealistic fight, but it ended in a broken pillow and Kakashi delivering a much unwanted "tickle jutsu attack" on Emiko and Itachi, with help from Shikaroku.

Sasuke sweat dropped as he didnt like how close the man was with his kids, but he grinned and just nodded, sometimes though Sakura got really overwhelmingly excited about stuff like this.

He did stop to wonder though if he would have been like that had he grown up like a normal kid. He probably might've.

Sakura finished up on a slightly sour note about Ino blaming Itachi for Shikarokus antisocial nature.

"Hey... That witch doesn't know what she's talking about. Shikamaru was antisocial too. Plus our kids are hanging out so they've obviously got SOME form of social life. She just can't handle the weird factor, him being my kid and all. Don't let her bother you." He waved it off shaking his head in disbelief. If there was one thing he hated as much as Sakura it was Ino.

Sakura nodded and hummed in agreement. She pulled out the other picture and handed it to him. It was a picture of Emiko wearing a new dress in front of the shop. She was smiling lightly, and had her unruly black hair pulled out of the way in two little pigtails.

Sasuke instantly melted at the sight of his baby girl. He grinned and held it closer for inspection. He nodded in approval. She was such a pretty girl, but shy. He was complaining about not getting any good pictures from her yet. All of the pictures of her were incidental or blurry. She was seemingly good at avoiding the lens these days.

Sasuke turned to Sakura and eyed the report card. He of course at this point had no idea it was a report card, but it interested him with its formal look, and its serious looking print on the front addressed "To the parent/guardian of HARUNO ITACHI"

"It's Itachis first half semester report card! I haven't even read it yet! I was saving it for you and me to look at together." She whispered. He felt a tight feeling in his chest as he suddenly eyed the card very suspiciously.

Both of his parents had been top students, and this could be either very very good, or very very bad.

They opened it together and went over it.

Sai looked up from his book. Despite privacy laws, he couldn't help but take this opportunity to sketch little Sasuke pictures in his book. Every slight facial expression, every smile. The look on his face right now as he read over the marks was so full of concentration, and here or there a little twitch if the lips occurred.

Inside his head Sai chuckled and then continued sketching that out too.

After the two had finished looking over the results of this semester so far, which would be ending in two weeks, they looked at each other and smiled.

"Looks like another you Sakura. He doesn't know he's Uchiha so naturally he can only use the power he thinks he has. Good to see that he's a fire type though! Amazing that they're determining things like that at such an early age." He marvelled quietly at the advancements in education for shinobi children these days.

Sakura nodded, "once he learns the true powers he's got, we just have to how the best." She said solemnly.

Sasuke sighed. There was that stupid condition again. He only prayed every waking hour that this would go well. Itachi was raised to love his home and was told of their struggles through their eyes, but was also never lead to believe that Uchiha Sasuke was actually bad, but rather mentally unstable.

When they told Itachi the truth... Or so called truth... It was to be only about who his father was, and why he was named after Itachi, the first. Of course the real reason of him being FORCED to kill the clan would be untold and would be covered up as a conscious decision of his own to maintain peace.

Sasuke objected but then decided to comply as they had a very valid point when they said that the reason Sasuke had been trouble after learning the truth was because he had been told the WHOLE truth, courtesy of Obito.

It was thanks to the way Obito told him about the past that made him snap. And this was just some things. They'd spend the next few years fixing up details in time for him to be told.

"Speaking of which... How are the kids? You haven't told me yet." He commented. Sakuras eyes widened and then she sighed guiltily.

"I didnt stay long enough to find out. All I heard was apparently Itachi beat up a girl or something, and Emiko was buying into one of Kakashis fairy tales..." She muttered. She usually stayed for dinner and asked them about their day before leaving... She was just impatient today as the report card had been there this time.

Sasuke looked like he was having a heart attack... Itachi beating up girls? What!?

"No, no no no no. Wait... Itachi wouldn't beat up a girl... Are you sure it wasn't the other way around?" He stuttered out, panicked.

Even if that was embarrassing that his son lost to a girl, he at least didnt want his child developing some bad reputation at such an early age.

Sakura felt the panic too and then cursed loudly... She should have stayed for clarification.

Sai saw a good point to jump in.

"Itachi didn't beat up anyone. He just called her ugly. I gotta admit, he was right." He chuckled.

Sasuke sighed in relief and then grit his teeth.

"Who the HELL is this little girl who keeps torturing my son?!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration.

Sakura eased his arms down and replied, "Gai's daughter Taira keeps getting him into all sorts of trouble. I keep telling Kakashi to stop letting them challenge each other, but somehow he feels that Itachi should have to suffer the same torment he did if he was to be his pupil. I call it indirect revenge via putting someone else through your own personal experience." She ranted.

Sasuke groaned. That Maito Taira was a pain and he hadn't ever seen the girl before...

"Remind me honey, what woman in her right mind decides to fall in love with Gai let alone have a child with him?" He muttered.

"Easy. Lees mother. Apparently they already were seeing each other too, before lee was born so I guess it was only a matter of time." She muttered. They both snorted and then moved on. They weren't really a gossiping couple, unless it was about Ino or Naruto anyway.

Sai butted in, "I think Taira has a crush on Itachi to be honest. Better watch out when her boobs grow in. Any ugly chick can get a guy with those things, just like you Sakura." He burst into laughter at that, unable to contain it.

Sakura and Sasuke together simply exchanged a look of indecision before Sasuke nodded his head, and Sakura went for it.

Mean while at home...

"Kakashi! Kakashi! The eggs exploded in the microwave! Oh my god its everywhere! Help! The water is boiling over on the stove and the eggs mess is all over the floor too! Somebody turn the meant on the stove, this is out of control! Oh my god I'm only ten you jerk! HEEEEEEEEELP!"

That night they did not eat dinner. Too painful.


	6. Oddballs of Konoha-Itachi and Shikaroku

**Chapter five: The oddballs of Konoha - Introducing Nara Shikaroku.**

**A/N Hey guys! Sorry for the long delay in updates, I just lost my muse after a tiny bout of art block / depression. However, I have decided to kick it off and start a new chapter! This chapter is all about our main character Itachi... And how weird he is! And his best friend-in-denial Shikaroku who is just about as weird as him.**

**Also so you know, the villagers have been strategically lead to believe that Sasuke is dead and that Itachis heritage is unknown but most still have their suspicions. Some think Kakashi is his illegitimate biological father, and others think it might be Sai. Yes, they are that stupid that they thought it might be Sai.**

**Enjoy!**

Itachi woke up on the wrong side of the bed. This was a common occurrence however because he often found himself sleeping underneath it due to late nights reading under a blanket, and sneaking out into Konoha, wandering the ruins of the old village.

He stretched and yawned recalling the events of the previous night. He had stumbled upon another clue to his ultimate goal and had hastily collected the precious artefact. He touched the circular pendant resting on his chest and smiled warmly as he felt the tiny ruby red studs resting in the design as he ran his fingers over it. He carefully sat up as much as he could under his bed and held the pendant charm out in his palm to stare at it again.

It was a sharingan pendant. It was his now, and he loved it. He chuckled to himself, shaking his head at how morbid and weird he must sound, getting all excited about a cursed necklace. For all he knew the guy who wore this could've been a down right asshole, or maybe it was a girls... Who ever it was once in the possession of they were now dead, so it had every reason to be cursed yet he loved it.

Suddenly he heard shuffling from the other room. His heart leapt into his throat and he thrashed around, stuffing the necklace under his shirt and hitting his head on the slats under his bed. Luckily no one entered his room. He rubbed his head and then taking a deep breath, scrambled out and then up to get ready for the day.

Taking extra care with his new charm, he wore his favourite long sleeved shirt. He normally didnt wear it unless it was a special occasion, despite its casual nature, but his usual button up red and white shirt would give away his secret. His long sleeved shirt was navy with a high collar, covering up all evidence minus the slight lump in the front, but it was good enough.

Throwing on some white shorts and his shoes, he dashed out the door ready for breakfast.  
He shuffled out quickly, looking both ways before heading to the kitchen. From the shadows a one eyed spy fondly shook his head having seen the whole thing.

Itachi scooted out a chair and then checking over his shoulders again, he sat down and patiently waited for another person to enter the kitchen. To his dismay Kakashi was the first one to appear.

Now back before Itachi had been born, Kakashi had been chosen as his godfather for three reasons he could put his finger on.

One was he was a close friend of his mothers, and a little too close sometimes. Probably out of guilt Sakura gave him the godfather option.

Then there was the second reason, that Kakashi had no kids of his own... Supposedly. So with everyone around him practically getting up and married with kids he must have felt left out, when even Gai went and got himself a family, with three kids no less, one of the his beloved student.

And that lead to the third reason, which was that out of all the jounin instructors in Konoha, none of them knew or could hope to know the Haruno boy better than him. For what reason this was so he hadn't any clue, but Itachi didn't dwell on it too long, despite his odd quirks, the man knew him well.

"Good morning Mr I can't cook." He threw at him jokingly. Kakashi stared at him, a hidden smirk of embarrassment showing slightly under the fabric mask. He pulled out a chair and sighed,

"Well fortunately for you Itachi kun, your mother is home so we can be guaranteed an edible meal." He chuckled and rubbed his scarred eye furiously.  
"Damn sharingan, acting up again..." He mentally cursed the infernal eye which was beginning to burn lately. He put it down to overuse and inability to withstand the powers of it.

Itachi suddenly began to bore a hole straight through the ever always closed eye. He knew what was hidden under that eyelid and suddenly his pendant felt heavier than it really had been this morning.

The world went fuzzy and all voices and sounds were muffled as he tuned out the world.

The room was blank and white, and the table was just a plain wooden surface, no legs or chairs. The man sitting before him stared back seemingly saying something, but nothing actually came from the voice he owned but gurgled gibberish as Itachi stared longer.

The white world grew dull to black gradually and suddenly the eye would open, but then...

"Ah! What? Were you speaking to me Kakashi San?" He exclaimed suddenly as the hallucination ended. Kakashis eyebrows knit together in confusion followed by a suspicious stare. He pursed his lips, knowing what the child had been thinking of and knew it was hopeless. This child was absolutely taken by his own secret heritage.

He leant back and stretched his arms back behind his head, grunting with the drowsiness of the morning as Sakura finally entered with Emiko.

"Ita kun, you shouldn't indulge in hallucinations, it can be dangerous." He chided him silently enough for only him to hear. The poor kid had a heart attack it seemed as his pupils shrank to frightened dots and he shook a little, unnerved as usual by how well this man knew him.

Sakura noticed her sons odd behaviour and her gaze shifted between the two tense males.

She rolled her eyes and nudged Kakashi in the ribs before sitting down with the breakfast platter (eggs courtesy of last nights eggs-plosion in the microwave) and he whined and rubbed his ribs jokingly.

"Stop traumatising my poor children Kakashi!" She demanded, patting Itachi on the shoulder, also aware of what had just happened ... Vaguely anyway. He chuckled and waved her off, and then proceeded to serve himself some food.

Sakura snorted at his readiness to eat her food, but let it slide. He was a part of the family now, so she would just have to put up with him. She had to admit, between his patience with Itachi and his "fun uncle Kakashi" persona he used with Emiko and his reliability ... Mostly... He was the perfect yet flawed sort of godfather that she was happy with.

"So I know there's only one more week left until the first school break. What are you kids going to do for that? Two weeks to do whatever you want, right?" He inquired over a plate of eggs.

Itachi sat up and stated, "I'll be practicing my ninjutsu and aim! I'm sick of Taira sneaking up on me too, so some sensory skills would be nice. I can't stand being so useless and defenceless!" He shouted unintentionally.

The whole table stared at him. He stared back, eyebrows lowered with a scowl of determination. Both adults sighed and nodded, Emiko just gaped at him wide eyed.

"I want to see the big flower garden at Inoko's grandmas house. They said it was huge and had all kinds of flowers that they sell in the store. Is it true mommy?" She asked after the shock died down with some silence. Itachi just stared some more, embarrassed at his outburst.

"Yes dear, they really do have one. Did you ask Inoko if her mother said that was okay?" Sakura asked. She nodded her head heavily smiling softly. Sakura shrugged and looked at Kakashi,

"Care to take her over there today? I've got to go in for a surgery today so I might not be available for most of this morning." She said. He sighed and then contemplated his answer.

It was then that Itachi spoke up again, "Hey I could walk her there! It isn't too far away, and I have a few things to do with Shikaroku..." He offered.

Kakashi laughed and then agreed to take them both to Ino's who would take them to her mothers later most likely. Itachi wasn't pleased that he would be escorted but oh well.

When no one was looking after breakfast finished up, he stole a glance at the round sharingan beneath his shirt and grinned. This was totally going to put Shikaroku's little discovery to shame!

Now, Shikaroku and Itachi were technically best friends, as were their sisters, which annoyed their mothers for some reason. However, the only reason Shikaroku and Itachi seemed to get on so well was primarily due to the fact that both children were...

Weird.  
There was no denying that the ever daydreaming boy with an imagination almost higher than his ridiculously high intelligence was strange. He wasn't ostracised for it though like Itachi was. Shikaroku saw this and decided to stand up against it.

It was almost like Shikamaru and Chouji but a little more complex. The poor kid wasn't even physically weird or anything, and despite his Uchiha obsession he was a quite mature, and polite kid. He was probably even better than most of the kids their own age, which was admirable.

Under the shade of a million trees in the Nara forest, a young boy of about nine stretched lazily, gazing at the birds above him. He sighed contentedly and reached for a little circular pendant slung lazily around his neck. He smirked and inspected it with a sense of pride.

This thing in his fingers right now was proof that his dad was a bad ass, and he wasn't afraid to do the impossible when he really set his mind to it. Any other kid had a bloodline... Which he also had... Or some heirloom or a bunch of money to prove that their parents were cool. He had an entire forest to his future name, and an army of deer...useless but loved nonetheless, and right here in this very spot was the grave of an S ranked criminal thought to be invincible... That is until shikamaru existed and then that sorry guys time was up, immortal or not!

And right here in this clearing he had found a circular pendant with a triangle stuffed into the middle of it like it was some rip off of some satanic symbol. Then again, Jashin WAS satanic in most ways so that made sense.

The other week he had shown Itachi his little discovery while they were playing Akatsuki, as they often did. They were getting a bit too old for make believe nowadays but with their developing ninja skills, slowly the fights and games were becoming more training orientated than they were silly and inaccurate re enactments of ninja fights.

"_Hey Itachi... This time I want you to be Itachi like usual, but this time I want to be a different guy..." He smirked fumbling around in his back pocket._

_Itachi grinned knowing what he was up to._

_"You've got something to show me Nara?" He folded his arms waiting for whatever surprise he had in store. He wasn't too happy that he always played Itachi, the first, but oh well. He made a good serial killer apparently._

_"Just a minute Haruno, I've got to go check my other pants. I'll be back." He said._

_Itachi rolled his eyes and shouted, "I really don't wanna be Itachi today you know! Why can't I be Sasuke or orochimaru or something?" He sighed and leant on one leg impatiently._

_"Because you suck at orochimaru and I'd be letting you have your way if I let you be Sasuke. I have the right to torture you because you never let me be my dad when you play hidan, and today..." He pulled out the Jashinist necklace and he grinned evilly as he entered the room again_

_"I wanna be Hidan." He chuckled evilly and Itachi felt his jaw drop. It was just like in the books that Shikaroku hid...  
"No freaking way! That's a real freaking ... Oh my god! NO FAIR!" He jumped over to the other boy and tried to snatch it out of his hands._

_But it was too late, Shikaroku was already in character. His eyes were wide with insanity and he sneered at the offending Uchiha, "Hey! Keep your dirty weasel paws off my precious Jashin! You retard!"_

_"Oh it's on, hidan!"_

He sniggered at the cheesiness of their favourite pastime, but it didnt matter. They were both connected in some way to weird people, and they loved it. Shikaroku even went as far as to research Jashin and the village hidden in the rain, which was Amegakure at some point in history. There he learned about Nagato/Pein and the akatsuki in general helping them to make their fights more realistic ... Well realistic sounding anyway.

It was then that he felt a funny presence. He sat up straight and observed his surroundings and looking for any visible changes since he drifted off into thought.

As easily as he could be distracted, as soon as his attention was caught again he would be able to immediately regain awareness of the entire situation with his heightened observation and logic skills.

He smirked and called out, "I know you're there Haruno! Come to ogle at my awesome backyard grave?" He teased. Itachi appeared soon afterwards and shook his head laughing.

"Oh you've got no idea what I've got up my sleeve this time Shikaroku." He stated smugly. Shikaroku frowned but doubted that he really was somehow hiding something cooler than him right now.

"Or rather... It's hidden under my shirt but you know what I mean." He reached under his collar and then extra slowly he pulled out the necklace.

Shikaroku practically squealed in both shock and almost fear as he instantly recognised the cursed pattern, and he felt chills running up his arms and back.

"Oh my god! Are.. Are you kidding me? What the... WHAT THE HELL MAN!?" He shouted not believing his eyes. Itachi laughed instantly at his reaction and doubled over at the fear in his eyes.

"I ... Pffft... I guess this is payback for what you did to me last time!" He managed to spit out. Shikaroku soon eased up and laughed as well.

"Totonana... You scared the SHIT out of me! You jerk! That things just as damned as mine! Now we can be cursed together!" He shouted excitedly. Itachi bounced with excitement, adding in,

"Oh my god we're so much more badass than those stupid idiots Hikari and Nejiraiya!" He threw a punch into the air, resembling his mother for a moment. (Normally Itachi was a quiet and mature child, but just like his mother he was born with an inner self. Unlike Sakura, that... Inner...tended to let itself be shown more often than he liked, and usually in moments like this and at times such as that morning at breakfast)  
They both calmed down a bit, and after ranting and raving about their little secrets, they began to talk life. Something grown ups usually did, that they started doing not too long ago.

"So how's being the most hated kid in Konoha?" He asked Itachi. He shrugged and said

"I hear mom used to be hated worse, so thing have been better lately I guess then. I don't pay attention to them. Besides for every adult who hates me, there's some crazy girl who likes me..." He trailed off as strange thoughts of Taira and Yume invaded his mind. He shook his head hoping to forget them both for now.

Shikaroku nodded. "I think I heard about some fight yesterday. Calling Taira names again?" He guessed. Itachi sighed and rubbed a few sore spots

"It was all okay until she caught me in that whirlpool kick thing she did. I was ghosting her. I felt like I was you controlling me with your shadow, but it was really hard doing everything she did." He explained the first half of the fight.

"How do you do that anyway? You know, guess what she's about to do before she does it? It's like your psychic." He interrupted.

Itachi shrugged and then continued.

"After she kicked me she suddenly had the upper hand in the fight and I couldn't fight back because she's a stupid girl." He stuck his tongue out and folded his arms behind his head, deciding to rest for a while on the ground. Shikaroku followed suit and then added,

"Oh dad taught me a way to get around that... Just don't tell your mom about it. Girls hate it." He offered.

Now we all know that Shikamaru can be a little sexist at times... Or if you didn't know that, then now you do. As a guy forced to fight as many women as he has in his life, and not to mention how often he's been abused by them it's likely true that THAT'S the reason he was like that to begin with.

"Oh? What's that?" He whispered.

"Easy, just remind yourself that she isn't a girl at all. She's a kunoichi, therefore a ninja. If you just treat all ninja like they're genderless then you never feel bad about having to fight a girl." He stated quite matter of factly.

"Huh... Interesting." Itachi thought about that for a while. It made sense actually... But maybe later on in life he'd need that advice. For now he would just avoid trouble.

From a tree above kakashi chuckled, admitting that that advice was pretty good, and far much more than those two boys would ever know hopefully.

He always kept watch over the Haruno boy, and as he fondly looked over him today he decided that he too would keep the necklace a secret. He just wished he wasn't so obsessed. He'd fit in much better if he didn't go batshit every time someone said 'Uchiha'

Oh well. He stared at the necklace a little longer. Suddenly the burning in his eye returned. He hissed, rubbing it furiously, trying to drown it out. It died down a little but it still stung badly. He sighed and continued to keep watch but the pain didn't go away.

A few kilometres away, Yamanaka residence garden.

Emiko and Inoko ran over to the fence, chasing a butterfly playfully as they enjoyed the sweet smells and bright colours of the beautiful garden.

The giggled as it flew up and above onto a really high flower in the trees.

"Hey come back down silly butterfly!" Inoko called. Emiko covered her mouth giggling as Inoko tried to climb up the tree to get to it.

"Be careful Inoko chan!" She called as her friend progressed higher. Then all of a sudden...

"Hey..." Inoko felt something hard and smooth from the other side of the trunk of the tree. It was underneath her hand and she petted the smooth object. She pulled herself over to a branch near it and then craned her neck around to see what it was.

Her heart stopped and her eyes widened...

All the heat and colour left her as she screamed a blood curling scream as the biggest most terrifying bug in the history of all time sloppily dislodged itself from the tree, spreading six ugly legs and two sets of sharp looking wings from beneath the smooth hard casing atop them.

She fell out of the relatively low branch and then the bug flew out, followed by two more of its kind, Emiko screamed as well and then both girls bolted from the garden, leaving the scary bugs behind.

Shikaroku and Itachi shot up at the sound of the screams. They were faint but still audible. They waited but nothing happened. They shrugged and went about their business. Kakashi recognised the direction from which it came from. Stealing a glance at his beloved godson he leapt off to see what had happened at the Yamanakas place.


	7. What's bugging you Shino?

Chapter six: What's bugging you Shino?

*The Aburame residence - many hours prior*

Shino sat with his father, and two cousins staring with breath stopping anticipation at the experiment before them. They had recently made a breakthrough discovery about their own bugs and were in the process of breeding and trialling their latest development in insect reinforcements.

Over the generations stealth and silence has been the key, which is a principle they still live by when making use of the bugs they recruit, both within their own bodies, and from the outside world, but this was a whole new level of possibility in battle that they just couldn't pass up.

They were mutations of their own bugs which had begun to develop when certain bugs left one of their members for a large amount of time. Normally bugs who leave the body only have a life span of a few hours, but these bugs had been living for days after leaving their original nest.

Intrigued and excited about this discovery a few members got together discussing the possible reasons as to why this had occurred. As it turns out, it had been due to Shino's bugs, which he clearly recognised from his own nest, which had against his command flown off in a frenzy at the scent of Karin, a prisoner he was out in charge of for interesting reasons, and her interesting chakra.

Her chakra had healing abilities along with the strong life force qualities present in all Uzumaki clan members, or descendants. It was also tampered with due to orochimaru and kabuto's fault during her stay in Otogakure those many years ago. In a way, what they were doing was highly risky and possibly even illegal due to its similarities to aforementioned ex shinobi, but their intentions were not the same.

In the end of the day, they'd probably discard the idea deeming it too risky or a failure and then have the bugs carefully and properly destroyed to avoid any mistakes happening.

So far they had been working with the mutant bugs, and their spawn for a month and had seen all types of abnormal developments in them, ranging from but not limited to:

Larger size  
Longer lifespan  
Sturdier exoskeleton  
Camouflage abilities

And as of recent some of the bugs had lost their wings and had grown later still. It was slow moving, the progress, but it amazed them at just how much had been done in such little time.

"Would these bus possibly be practical in battle, father? Their size and loss of wings could possibly be a hindrance, but also could be an asset depending on the situation, don't you think?" Shino spoke up breaking the half and hour of silence.

Shibi nodded in agreement slowly, continuing his sons train of thought.

"Transporting them would be difficult, but their physical strength is ten times as much as the smaller bugs inside ourselves which would still be our biggest power, being faster and more convenient, but if a worst case scenario was to occur, it could with the proper preparations prove to be a great trump card. The insects would be assigned to any fighting clan member in numbers less than five due to their size. Their strength and durability would make up for their lack in numbers." He sat back and adjusted his glasses in thought.

"Perhaps the non flying ones can be used for underground attacks?" One member spoke up. Both Shibi and shino looked to him and then waited for him to expand on his proposal, but they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

They all looked to the door, irritated that they had been stopped during their very stimulating (to them) conversation. Shibi's wife spoke up as she opened the door, already aware of what they were doing.

"Shino I got a call from the prison. Karin is at it again, judging by the background noise it's probably at stage two by now, and the longer you take stage three might commence if you don't make haste." She rushed out to her son. Shino grunted in frustration and then quickly got up, avoiding knocking over anything in the process and then made his way out the door after grabbing a few minor weapons just in case.

"Father, you may continue the research without me, but do record your findings for me to look over later." He half demanded and half requested before heading off to carry out his tedious duty.

A few months previously, Karin made a big mistake against her probation and managed to get a male guard with whom she was... commencing relations with... to let her outside, and even into the town centre after hours. That guard was basically reprimanded severely, for a number of reasons, and then thoroughly scolded by his clan.

Who ever would have suspected that a Hyuuga could be so irresponsible? They had put him on originally due to the clans reputation of seriousness and good work ethic, which was temporarily ruined thanks to this particular wayward individual, who later was found out to have always been the... different one in the family so to speak.

So with that out of the question, they hired Shino to be in charge of her for several reasons.

One, he was eternally stoic and not affected by the female ... Um... 'Charms' that Karin possessed, being the self respecting and virtuous shinobi he was. Two, he had his insects which not only could he use to immobilise her, but also the all famous 'rule with fear' principle, but with a twist of course. And three, he was highly regarded and suggested by Hiashi after his own branch member had failed so horribly.

So here he was rushing to the prison centre sure that certain doom awaited his poor eyes when he discovered what state she was in when he would arrive. Hopefully fully dressed this time.

*at the prison*

"Uzumaki Karin! This is the last time we are going to warn you! Get away from that man or so help us we will unleash hell!" A ninja shouted from the other side of the courtyard.

Karin grinned at him and retorted, "why have I gotta stop if he likes it? Right Akira?" She turned her gaze to the helpless and tied up man beneath her.

He grimaced and whined through his gag. He had been caught off guard and hadn't been forewarned about her tendencies.

The other men, around three or four, stood back, knowing that she may not be powerful, but their vital regions had been violated a few times by the same woman so they all were actually quite chicken about the whole situation.

The only thing keeping her in prison might I add, was this very reason.

Shino arrived at the scene and shook his head. Despite her amazing chakra abilities, and sensory powers, and despite her overall change of loyalty to the village, she was just too promiscuous and ... Well they've all had about enough of her and her antics.

Shino took note that she reminded him of Mitarashi Anko who had previously suffered the same fate as Karin, more or less. We're all female rejects of orochimaru lust obsessed, sadistic creeps?

But of course he had to keep these thoughts to himself, so instead of stating his opinion on her right now... Something he knew would end in misery, he ushered the cowards out of the vicinity and then turned with a glare to the offending woman.

"You, are more trouble than you are worth Uzumaki." He growled.

She tensed and the colour left her face a little as she visibly became uneasy at the sudden presence of her least favourite guard.

"I'll give you five seconds to get off that man, or I will unleash them." He stated firmly, knowing she knew what he meant. No explanation needed.

Images of her first unpleasant encounter with the offending creatures flashed before her mind...

The sudden swarm, each of them violently buzzing their sharp wings, and latching themselves onto her skin as they viciously competed against each other for a spot on her to dig their over excited mandibles into, followed by the dull and numbing sensation of having her chakra drained at a dangerously fast pace.

Yeah, she want up for it today.

"Oh come on bug boy, really? I'm just playing around! I-I won't do anything serious you know!" She pleaded getting up off the man and untying him, cursing heavily to him, making him wince and shudder.

"I'm waiting, Karin." He crossed his arms and stood firmly in place, counting the seconds as she tried to untie the man hastily. She had made it escape proof, that was evident.

He grew tired of her stalling and approached her causing her to drop the man and scurry away as far as she could allowing shino to take care of the rest.

He sighed to himself, wondering why he was the only one unable to be so 'easily moved' by her motives and crude behaviour.

Karin shivered involuntarily as she wondered what kind of woman would ever marry a guy who has a beehive in his body...

"So..." Karin began, as the hour had passed and they said nothing to each other. Karin simply sat eating her bland jail-food lunch being eyed mercilessly by the bug user.

"Like, can you feel the bugs moving around in your body?" She tried to gain his attention in a more positive light by picking a topic he was no doubt familiar with, only to find out that judging by the intense stare he was not amused.

Despite that however, her mischief gene had just kicked in.

"Soooo, does it y'know... Tickle sometimes when they crawl around 'certain areas'?" She giggled and nudged him with her elbow. He didnt appreciate the question and despite himself a large blush spread up his face, and he looked away in irritation.

She took that as a sign that it was working. She scooted a tiny inch closer to him and continued.

"So shino, where do the bugs even come out of? You got holes in your skin, or do they just crawl out of your mouth or some other unmentionable opening?" She purred deviously.

He whipped his head around so fast he had to scramble to push his glasses up again. He should have worn the goggle like ones today.

He growled at her, wishing to put in his two cents and explain to her in detail just exactly HOW they came out f his body, in the hopes of both boring and disgusting her, but it was truly none of her business and it was a clan secret.

"If you wish to find out, then prepare to give your body up to the insects because there's only one way to find out." He spat at her threateningly.

She froze at that and then after an awkward silence that lasted forever, he lips tugged up into a cheek hurting grin as he chuckled evilly, translating his words into as many dirty innuendo as she possibly could.

Shino's mind spun a million miles an hour, quickly realising what he had just said, and how he had put it. Enraged that she had duped him, he shot up from the table and retreated to the other side of the room.

Kiba then both saved him, and made it worse at the same time as he walked in right at that moment, with Sasuke in tow with Akamaru behind him.

Sasuke smirked out of impulse, but quickly hid it when Shino turned to look at them.

Had his eyes been visible they would be screaming 'help me'!

Kiba could smell the tension in the air, as well as something else. He looked from Karin, to Shino and then with a grin he stated bluntly,

"Geeze, it smells like some pretty bad sexual tension in here guys." He winked at shino and then made his way to the nearest table with Sasuke, who despite himself snorted, knowing fully well what Karin had done.

Shino groaned and left the room, dragging Karin by the wrist much to her both amusement and displeasure, shouting about being too 'forward' with her.

It was another good hour or two before Karin was locked up again for the day and shino was able to go home.

"Rude..." Was his only word to his comrade before he left. Shino kicked off into the trees and made his way back home, ignoring the circumstances involving the insufferable woman. Besides, he already had an insufferable woman to love...

Sensing her nearby, despite his urge to return home, he stopped and surveyed the area.

"Arisa...?" He muttered curiously. A light thud caught his attention and he turned to his side.

She had landed beside him smiling under the high collar of his old coat, her black brown hair falling into the collar from her high ponytail. She was short enough to fit into it, and he'd given it to her as a gift upon joining his clan. He stopped and admired her small smile for a brief moment before sighing, shaking his head.

She had forgotten to cover her eyes with the trademark black glasses again, which was common with her. Her once green eyes gazed dully at him although behind the side effects of the kikaichou* they were full of concern... Perhaps sympathy.

With her he didn't have to 'nit pick' as his friends so affectionately put it with her. She seemed to know him through and through without him having to explain himself, but that didnt stop him from doing it anyway from time to time. Just as much had he expected from anyone he was to call his wife.

"It's been a particularly irritating chain of events, hasn't it Shino?" She offered as they kicked off to get home. He hummed in agreement and let himself relax in her presence. Perhaps this day could get better...

"Another run in with that Uzumaki woman I heard. Your father was not too pleased you were pulled away from the experiment but the good news for you is they've temporarily postponed any further discussion, as they believe you are a key member in its progress. They did after all originate from your nest of course." She continued.

"Ah? They've postponed it? Yes. That makes sense. It was my colony that bred the, therefore they respond better to me than to anyone else. I'm a crucial part of this, and I was pulled away..." He summed up the conversation and both agreed that there wasn't anything else to say as they travelled home in slience.

However as he approached the halfway point to their destination she stopped him and then spoke.

"It's with much regret that I tell you I'm being selected for a mission in Suna this week. I have to leave in two hours but I want to be there early. I must make my departure here..." She leaned forward and kissed him gently before grabbing hold of his hands for a while longer and then waited for his response.

Despite his chest feeling empty suddenly he sighed and rested his forehead on hers, their headbands making a 'click' sound as the metal badges hit each other.

"Return home safe..." He bid her farewell and she left.

-Aburame residence-

Arriving home that day shino retreated straight to his room, heavily cursing his luck. Flopping down on the bed, he rolled over and gazed sadly at his beloved insect collection.

All the bugs fluttered and scurried around minding their own business and he couldn't help but be envious of them. Their life was simple. They didnt have these stupid human problems.

He eyed a particular butterfly which Arisa had been keen on growing when she had found it in its caterpillar stages a short while back. He had tried but failed to find a mate for it for her, and it was nearing the end of its short lifespan. He stared at it longer and then resigning for the day, he removed his headband and glasses and attempted to drift off to sleep.

Suddenly a few hours later, his father burst into the room, uncharacteristically panicked.

He shook his son awake and shouted, "an experiment has escaped and reproduced! The Yamanaka have been plagued with the bugs, and another was sighted in the forest! One must have attached itself to you before you left! We must act now before this becomes worse!" He grabbed his son once he had sat up in shock,and they headed out to investigate.

It could be confirmed. Today was his absolute worst day ever.


	8. Shino and the attack of the beetles

Chapter seven: Shino and the attack of the beetles

Okay, this was not just his worst day ever. This was BEYOND the worst day ever. Shino was only an hour out the door after having heard the alert about the initial break out of bugs when suddenly terrorised screams brought his attention away from the Yamanaka compound that he had just begun to have quarantined.

His eyes widened in disbelief as it appeared that the bugs had spread to a larger area than they had at first estimated. There stood before him,the contents of an evacuated place of business, each person holding on to dear life each other and various objects assumed to be stock or purchases. The bugs had reproduced insanely and had begun crawling from the ground and up the walls, their thick black and brown shiny bodies scurrying up and across it as the pleased like tar running down the walls, but in reverse.

Shino rushed over leaving the Yamanaka case to be dealt with by his father. He instructed a few clan members to head over with him to stop the plague before it got worse.

"Shino? There are your beetles? What's the meaning of all this?!" Ino shouted at the top of her lungs. Just his luck the flower shop they owned was across the street from their home since renovations. He heaved a large sigh and before he could bother to give his long winded explanation he felt the fist of said Ino assault his face.

Irritated he shouted at her, "if you don't mind I am TRYING to get this all under control! I'm not one to do something like this intentionally, now please keep your hands to yourself and I suggest you help your mother and aunt evacuate you home, be amuse that's where this thing started!"

Instantly distracted she screamed and rushed over to her mothers place, flailing around and not following emergency protocol at all whatsoever.

It only took about a half an hour to quarantine the shop. All the plants naturally where not harmed by the beetles, as they're only a threat to humans mainly, but to keep them out of the places in which humans dwell is important.

Shibi appeared looking a little less frantic as his son and he examined the progress. So far it was looking as if everything was going to be okay.

"Shino, I tried to warn you about that coat of yours, you should have taken the other one from the living room, as the one in the lab was more prone to contamination." He scolded him... As if he was a child...he didn't like that too much but he accepted his mistake silently.

All the wayward bugs were brought securely back to the Aburame residence where they wouldbe destroyed for disobedience and high maintenance of the worst sorts. All this was thankfully accomplished within three hours...

However, no, fate would not be so kind to our insect loving shinobi.

"SHINO! SHINOOOO!" Shoving past several family members Shino raced to the source of his name being called. It was his mother this time.

"ABURAME SHINO, YOUR MUTANT BEETLES FOLLOWED YOU TO THE PRISON! ALL THE INMATES AND ALL TWENTY FIVE GUARDS ARE SURRONDED! NEED I REALLY RELAY TO YOU THE MESSAGE?" She shouted at him in a way he hadn't ever seen her before. Slightly terrified he leapt off out the window, his father following him, they made their way to the prison.

At the prison...

Sasuke cringed under the weight of the screaming woman on top of him as she and several other people clambered on top of him. Today was without a doubt his worst day ever.

Not only had he discovered that Sai was a rat, and had told the entire jounin population what he had done with that girl and the two boys, causing their arrest and his reputation to be blackened once more (even if to a minor degree) but also Karin had discovered his little bunny and had begun to tease him with Kiba relentlessly for the next several hours.

Then his food was served late, and it was disgusting as someone had replaced all the salt with sugar and he ended up becoming sick. Then to add more insult to injury, he returned to his cell and was told that his probation had been restricted and he would be rooming with Suigetsu in the lower more secure area of the prison.

While down there, to put the cherry on top, the whole place suddenly began filling to the brim with thousands of enormous beetles.

In a sick humorous sort of way, it was almost like a horror manga he had read once as a kid, which he'd forgotten about until now. All the people were trapped in a basement and had turned to killing each other and at the end the last two guys were eaten alive by the mutated maggots that had grown into snake sized monsters.

During this time he had to reminisce ... Oddly... He suddenly was brought back to reality with the shrill scream of Uzumaki Karin, and several ANBU and jounin guards who had been stationed around the area in an attempt to remedy the lack of security.

And then here he now was...

"How on earth can you call yourself ninjas if an influx of useless bugs scares the shit out of you? My lord you're all pussies..." He hissed through gritted teeth.

An unknown man proclaimed, "that's coming from the guy carrying a toy bunny!" Which was followed by buckets of laughter. Then screams ensued once more.

Another ninja spoke up above the noise, "they ate the chakra of fifteen other members of the squad! There used to be thirty of us! From what we can tell, the Aburame either are revolting against the village or have lost control of their own insects and this is the consequences of it!" She threw a few men out of the way and then stood pressed next to Sasuke as he seemed more sane than the other men and women.

It was then that he recognised her...

"Ah, Anko San... I didn't realise you were on the squad. Aren't you normally up with the intel or interrogation squads?" He asked, completely forgetting the swarm of bugs, and mildly decreasing numbers of chakra.

"Oh feh, I was here on a whim. I heard you got those assholes Hiro and Noburu arrested. Those little shits drive me up the wall." She waved it off.

*meanwhile, while all that was happening*

Shino arrived at the prison and sighed heavily... Why him?

Shibi and seven other clansmen and women attacked the situation accordingly and eradicated the lots of beetles they could possibly contain on the surrounding and top level. They had four other underground levels to work on now... That took an hour. By this time, Anko and Sasuke had begun to chat as previously indicated.

"Father, call for back up. We have a lot of dead here, which means they've discovered that they can eat humans. This isn't good." Shibi did as his son advised and when here was enough people, mini squads were sent to each floor to continue the extermination.

Upon reaching the bottom most level, Shino attempted to calm everyone down, but as soon as Karin saw him, she instantly screamed,

"There he is! This is all his fault! GET HIIIIIIM!"

And as if on cue, all screaming stopped and all the ninjas glared at him...

"Um... I'm here to help...?" He offered meekly...

*two and a half hours later*

Sore from an uncalled for beating, and over exertion Shino bitterly cursed the day Karin was even born... Which would be next Thursday ironically... And then he sauntered off feeling most deservingly sorry for himself.

However...

His slow pace was to be quickened.

"SHINO, SHINOOOO!" His parents both chorused from in front of him. He dashed to catch up with them, running strait into his father causing them both to topple over. They got up and ignored that, waiting to hear the news.

"Shino, on his way back to the village, the Hokages own home has been infested with the bugs! As of two hours ago this occurred and they are SPREADING!" His mother screamed.

They two men flinched and then ran off without another word.

Racing up to said Hokages residence, they skidded to a halt as they stared completely baffled at the sight to behold. Not only was the place infested with chakra beetles...

But the damn place was infested with a very impulsive and unwise Hokage.

*two hours earlier... About the same time Shino reached the prison*

Naruto reclined in his seat contentedly as another damned nations worth of paperwork was finally completed. His spelling was pitiful in some places and he could have sworn there was a million kanji he didn't even know existed in the world but it was all finally done.

He stood up and did a few stretches after sitting for so long, and then with nothing more in mind than to cuddle up to his beloved little Hinata and fall asleep, he raced up to his room and basically leaped on top of said snoozing Hinata. She stirred startled by her overly amorous husband who just grinned childishly.

It wasn't late enough for sleep yet but being a special rank jounin and the wife of this adorable idiot was hard work. She couldn't mask her amusement and giggled behind her hand, that all too familiar blush invading her pale white face.

"Hina-chaaaaaan! I'm done for the day! Lets do somethiiiiiiiiing!" He waggled his eyebrows as he held the last note suggestively.

If at all possible, the blush deepened. Stuttering, she didn't quite know what to say in response to that. It was a bit sudden for him to just suddenly request sex like this, but it wasn't unpleasant of him to bring it up as she herself had to admit they had been so busy with work and kids that they'd lost the fire they used to have.

"Hmmm" Naruto smirked taking the stuttering gibberish as a yes as he tackled her neck with sloppy wet kisses. Hinatas eyes widened and then slammed shut as she grit her teeth, caging in a moan as he assaulted her.

Working his tired hands under her shirt he messed around a little, wanting this to last. She gripped his clothes from the back and yanked them tightly as his kisses went lower.

However, after he drew back for a moment just to look at her, he noticed something..

His face instantly fell, and his pupils became small. All cold left his face and he began shaking.

The odd display caused a million and one assumptions and suspicions to run through Hinatas mind, most of them a little embarrassing, but his next reaction was the last thing she suspected.

A great distance from the home, the loud high pitched scream that ensued was enough to disturb the birds in the trees.

Naruto was currently hanging from the ceiling with his chakra, screaming and shouting and throwing odd items at Hinata as she dodged and screamed at her imbecile husband as he had clearly lost his mind.

"KILL IT! MY GOD IT MUST DIE! TAKE IT OUT PLEASE HINTATA MAKE IT GO AWAAAAAY!" He screamed, ending each sentence with a toss of a book, or sock, or anything he could reach from the shelves while hanging off the ceiling.

Skilfully, one by one Hinata dodged the assault and screamed right back, "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT NARUTO?! STOP THROWING THINGS AT ME! IM NOT THAT BAD AM I? OH IM SO SORRY IM NOT AS GREAT AS I USED TO BE, OR WHATEVER THE HELL YOU'RE EVEN ON ABOUT!" She threw a whole stack of books at him to counter an empty jewellery box heading her way.

"BYAKUGAN!" She shouted and her eyes activated... Whatever the hell this was she was going to end it NOW!

Wait... Still dodging the object being thrown, out of her now flawless line of 360 degree vision she spotted the culprit.

There in her hair, crawling around was the biggest scariest most horrifying kikaichu she had ever seen in her life! She instantly recognised the breed of bug from her work with Shino, but at this size and with no wings she was instantly as terrified as her husband.

The damn thing was the size of a baseball! She ripped it out of her hair and as if forgetting twenty odd years of insect-o-phobia she crushed it with her hand and screamed as the disgusting exoskeleton crunched and the bug squished into her fingers.

Instantly she looked at her hand and then fainted. Naruto, instantly cured of his madness rushed to the floor to aid her, however.

There were more... More... MOOOOOOOOORE!

"That's it! YOU MADE MY WIFE SUFFER YOU DICKS! IT'S EXTERMINATION TIIIIME!"

He shouted and then without regard for anything or anyone else in the whole house, including his two children who were currently staring at this spectacle, he performed a few seals and then with narrowed eyes and a tooth barred growl he cried, "MAXIMUM SHADOW CLONE TECHNIQUE!"

Aaaaaaand here we are now.

Millions of Naruto fighting off millions of kikaichu. Breaking everything, he was... Killing a lot of bugs... Well...he was... Effectiveness in his panicked state? Not... Really... Effective.

Shino heaved the biggest sigh of them all for today, and then with his father and a few others who had come he rushed into the home.

as soon as they entered however it was clearly certain that they were not going to get anywhere any time soon. There inside the house and entire residence, waves and explosions of Naruto were obscuring there path.

Shino trudged and smashed his way through the clones in an attempt to find the epicentre of the invasion, but it was not working as he crept being pushed back.

in his frustration he attempted to crawl under them but in their frenzied movements he found himself being pushed up to the top again.

all the others were also having this difficulty.

"Naruto San, listen to me,YOU MUST CALM DOWN AND STOP!" He shouted above the crying and screaming clones, but his voice carried only a bit, and was ultimately ignored.

suddenly a voice finally acknowledged him.

"Shino! SHINOOOO!" Hinata called him from a river of Naruto clones across the room. Shino struggled to turn around.

"WAIT THERE HINATA SAN, IM TRYING TO REACH YOU!" He shouted back. Hinata shook her head furiously though and replied, "IT'S NO USE SHINO, JUST LET THE CURRENTS CARRY YOU! WE ARE SURE TO MEET UP EVENTUALLY!" She tried.

Reluctant but seeing no other choice, they did just that. And when they found themselves within reach, Shino grabbed on to her and then Shibi helped them drag up to the top of a bookcase from which the bugs were crawling from the floor to the ceiling... And away from the majority of the clones...

"Shino, perhaps your squad should try to lure the kikaichu up the wall here and away from Naruto... The less bugs in his sight the better!" She suggested.

Shino and shibi exchanged glances and then shrugged. It was worth a shot.

Three hours later and all of the bugs were contaminated in the one room upstairs above the bookcase and Naruto had out of fatigue dispelled his whole clone clan and then fallen asleep on the floor. It was finally...

finally ... Over.

"Okay. We'll go and fix up thone insects and then I'll leave you to sort out any other ... Um... Issues." He eyed Naruto not envious of that punishment he would obtain the next day.

meanwhile... In the room upstairs...

"it's okay... It's okay... It's just a bug... It's just a bug..." Nejiraiya was sitting in his desolate and empty room and there on the foot of his bed was a lone stared at him as if analysing whether or not it was ready to eat him alive.

"its okay... It really IS okay... It's only a bug... Just... ONE bug..." He shivered and then a thump made his heart wrench. He stopped his nervous rocking momentarily and then... Slowly... The door began to groan and crack.

Then before he screamed, nothing happened..he sighed heavily and then laughed realising he had drawn back for a scream for nothing.

Just then, the door cracked into a hundred pieces and through the door an entire ocean of kikaichu smashed through and straight onto him.

the scream emitted from his being rivalled the previous scream and would leave him partially deaf for the next day.

but in the end all was well. Shino returned home, and then slowly, like the tired hero he was, soldiered off into his room and then took off his coat and glasses. He turned to greet his bed and then with all the grace of a clumsy hippopotamus he fell onto his bed and the. Finally slept.

Meanwhile, Itachi and Shikaroku sat in the woods, most likely way too late for their own good, snoring and making for the perfect blackmail photo.

Kakashi chuckled in good humour at the little snapshot in his grasp. That was going straight to the photo album.


	9. Something's just not right

Next chapter later:

Yume and Itachi ... And Taira...

After the incident with Shino and his bugs the family was disciplined fairly for going overboard and life eventually returned to normal. School was back and the little genin in training were experiencing their first major ninjutsu lesson of the year.

At the academy there are four things that are taught, those being general education such as mathematics and grammar and other things for younger levels, and then once you were old enough your patents or you teachers or both would begin to train you in the art of jutsu including ninja techniques unique to the original ninja styles of the past. Taijutsu was taught first because it is the most basic form of jutsu and can be mastered at a young age. This year, Itachis year level, had already learned their taijutsu and things like chakra control, as well as chakra type even though they wouldn't be able to use that for a long time.

Therefore it was ninjutsu time. The oldest and most common form of ninja techniques, most dating all the way back to the first and original ninjas before hidden villages existed. These techniques to name a few cover abilities such as cloning, transformation and substitution jutsu which would come in handy and eventually become second nature to these promising future shinobi.

It was break time after a terrible performance from Maito Taira. As luck would have it, she inherited her mothers chakra related disability and like her oldest sibling, Lee, would have to make do with taijutsu alone. However that didn't stop her from trying.

_"Okay, now, " Iruka began as he examined his clipboard. The students were being called up alphabetically by surname, and they had reached the three-quarter way point at "Ma"*_

_"Maito Taira, are you positive you want to participate in this activity? You don't ha-" he was cut off by a whirr of black and pink as said girl zipped up to the Center of the circle and stomped her foot down. She glared at him and said,_

_"Even if I can not do it, I will not respect myself if I do not try." She said._

_It was true that there were leaks in her disability where she had been able to preform some types of ninjutsu, usually by mistake, but it was enough to give her the guts to test this theory out, even if it meant humiliation. It was not in her genetics to give up just because someone told you to._

_Iruka blushed still concerned for the emotional well being of the young girl but nodded anyway knowing she wouldn't change her mind._

_"Okay then, Taira, using the previous example I want you to transform into the Hokage."_

_Taira suddenly felt a lot less confident than at first she had. Shaking a little, she took a deep breath and then preformed the hand seals, focusing on whatever there was in her body that she could._

_Then to everyone's astonishment, a puff appeared. Iruka couldn't believe his eyes... She actually had prefor- wait... Hold that thought._

_The entire playground was silent. There were a few crows in the background that suddenly fluttered violently up out of a tree due to the loud puff._

_Taira stood there, exactly the same as she was before except with a head of blonde spikes that stuck out at odd ends from her shiny black hair. It looked like one of her eyes was blue but it was lazy and stuck out to the left and she was shaking and out of breath._

_The entire school burst into laughter and Iruka fought back a few sobs as his attempt to rescue her from inevitable humiliation failed before his eyes._

_With a laugh of her own at herself she just shrugged and asked for a mirror._

_"What do I even look like? I've gotta see this!" She laughed, taking it all in stride. A girl giggled and handed her a make up mirror ... Even though she's too you g for that... And Taira fell down laughing even harder as another puff made itself known and she returned to normal. A few tears rolled down her cheeks and she rubbed them away grinning._

_"What the hell was that? This isn't funny! This is pathetic! Why would you try to do something you know you can't? It could be dangerous in a real life situation." Itachi crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He had his turn already towards the beginning of the class at "Ha"._

_Taira just glared at him and grit her teeth, stung by the blunt truth in his words. He smirked cockily and then turned away to continue talking._

_He was talking to Yume... That damn Suna girl_...

And here we now are. Taira was sitting down on a bench alone glaring at Yume and Itachi. They had oddly gotten to talking recently. They were both oddballs who people treated differently and had found out they had a lot more in common than the surface revealed.

During their leg of the class they had both impressed the teacher and the class.

When asked to transform into the Hokage, Itachi asked if it had to be Naruto. Iruka responded that as long as it was a recognisable person then it was okay.

_Itachi grinned a genuine grin. Shikaroku couldn't help but chuckle and roll his eyes as he knew what was in store. Yumes eyes widened with anticipation and curiosity._

_He preformed the seals at an obnoxiously fast pace and then a light puff appeared. Several children just gawped but other wiser ones screamed as from the smoke emerged the deathly formidable figure of Sasuke Uchiha. It was no secret what the young criminal had looked like in his prime and he had studied the man for so long that he couldn't help but show off a little._

_"Oh for heavens sake, that's fitting seeing as you're just as cocky as..."_

_Irukas face was both terrified and guilty as he bit back thoughts of the ninja before him that nearly fell out of his mouth..._

_"Very good, just... Just please transform back before the ANBU appear to take your life!" He face palmed and then sighed heavily._

_"Do I have to change back? I kinda like this body." Itachi bluntly stated, in a deep voice which he assumed to be that of said criminal. Having never heard the voice he had to guess._

_Iruka rolled his eyes and groaned. Itachi was normally a lot less insufferable. What had changed?_

_Shikaroku coughed into his hand "OROCHIMARU PLZ" at the body comment._

_Itachi turned around and kicked him in the shin, but forgot that he was over 170cm now and probably winded the poor kid, who fell back laughing but choking at the same time._

_Embarrassed and kind if guilty he turned back and ran to help his friend up._

_Yume just ogled at him as per usual_.

And back to the present again. Taira had to admit that Itachi HAD been acting really terrible lately. They had all recently reached their eleventh years and had been taken on a few mock D rank missions in preparation for the next year. Ever since being put on a mock team with the red haired girl and a random boy from the Aburame clan, he had come back with less a humble attitude.

Taira knit her medium thick brows together as she secretly gazed at the boy. He was her chosen rival, but there was another reason she had chosen him.

It was said by many that the older you are the more serious love is, but that couldn't be true. Just because the foundation of her infatuation might be stupid, or weak, that didn't mean to say that her love and the importance it held to her was also stupid and weak.

However her father once told her that sometimes in order to become stronger we must sacrifice thing we want, including dating boys and other things. She knew he simply meant to stay prudent, but humoured him. She sighed and looked away as they began laughing. This wasn't the Itachi she knew.

She clenched her fist and in her mind made a resolve to discover the reason behind his sudden change. It just wasn't right.

She marched up to the two and instantly threw the red head out of the way, facing Itachi with a glare.

He stopped wide eyed, his mouth still ajar and he blushed in shock. He had been having a rather over excited conversation with the girl about Sasuke and Gaara, their two favourite famous ninjas, and he had been getting really excited. So much in fact that he didn't know how to react to this sudden flip out...

Taira narrowed her eyes and then hissed, almost seductively, if an eleven year old can pull that off whilst wearing the face of a fish...

"I know you're hiding something from my ita-chan... I will find out what it is and then you'll drop this little act!" She bent all the way forward so that their noses connected.

The close range made her heart speed up but she kept her cool... As much as she'd love to kiss him right now, daddy had taught her restraint and control over ones desires through the actor eternal rivalry... Once again him just trying to brainwash her into prudence, but that's okay.

Itachi slowly backed away...

(Itachis POV...)

He felt sweat forming on his neck and back... Instead of the brow or palms, he got it on the neck and back when he was nervous. It was true that he had been hiding something, but he didn't expect her... HER of all people to find out!

He laughed nervously and doubled over, waving it off with his hand as if she was talking nonsense. He faked a grin and replied, "the only thing I'm hiding right now is my urge to puke! What were you gonna kiss me or something?" He shouted. Everyone stopped and watched.

Shoot... They were all sort of catching on that he was different today.

Itachi looked around nervously even more so, and then with a shrug and an irritated expression he just stormed off back to Yume and continued to speak with her.

Taira stood there dumbfounded and feeling tingly all over about the kissing comment.

In her heart she really wanted to... So it did kind of hurt... But she also just shrugged it off and then left.

(Everyone else's POV...)

"Hey... Kunari... What's up with the Sasuke-emo? He's been a real dick lately." Nejiraiya spoke to his friend.

The dog boy shrugged and lifted his pup up to lick his face, laughing lightly.

"Dunno... Hahaha... Maybe he finally got a sense of humor... HAHAHAHAHAAAA,!" He fell out of his seat as the pup pinned him and began licking his face at turbo rate.

Nejiraiya gagged a little, "DUDE! That's gross! You know dogs eat poo right?" He shouted disgusted with the...affectionate display?

Kunari sat up and stopped Haki, his dog, and then cockily replied, "yeah, well so do I, so who cares?"

Nejiraiya gagged again, but ignored it. He returned to the topic.

"Anyway, he's been really annoying. Not only is he being an all around know it all, but now he's suddenly got some big ass confidence boost! The other day he came back from that mock mission and I insulted his lack of fashion, as usual, and he actually came back with a good comeback... Then he started harping on me, and then left! He like... Grew a backbone!" He shouted almost... Kunari just stared at him in disbelief.

He had a comeback? He had even bothered to try one? Since when did that happen?

"And he's been flirting with all the girls too! It's ridiculous! Well... He's been flirting with Yume, but STILL! It doesn't make any sense!"

At about this point Shikaroku was passing by. He paused and evaluated the situation. They were talking crap about Itachi as usual, but at this point in time they technically had a good reason... He truly HAD been acting different.

It was worrying him too. He waltzed over to the two boys and with a mutter he interjected his theory.

"Totonana... I think he's probably just getting a stick up his ass because he's proving to be one of the most powerful kids on our year. It'll pass once one of you two overpowers him with your brute strength, and stamina so its not for you to worry about if he's a bit advanced." He offered. The two boys sort of stared at him as he plonked down next to the on the bench.

Nejiraiya narrowed his eyes and scooted away a little ... "Aren't you HIS friend? What're you talking to US for?" He inquired. Shikaroku scoffed and closed his eyes, irritated.

"I don't play favourites, the kid is a lonely type, so I take pity on him. I'm HIS friend, but he's not mine so to speak. I offer my company to those who need it, but I can live on my own." He defended. He crossed his arms and bent his head down, practically nodding off within seconds.

He wasn't a jerk who pretended to be friends with people, he was a philanthropist (person lover) who owned a few misanthropist (person hater) traits on the side.

The social, antisocial.

Kunari shrugged after a confused exchange of glances between them and then continued.

"So... What do you think he actually even DID on his mission?" He asked. He and nejiraiya had been forced into the same old cat catching mission that their parents had done before them several times.

Shikaroku shrugged. They had pulled weeds and picked up dead kikaichu mutant bodies in his own grandmothers yard/plantation.

Nejiraiya rolled his eyes and answered the question. Being the Hokages kid, sometimes you knew things like this...

"He and the Aburame and Yume went on a little dog walking mission. From what I heard, the dog had gone rabid and started fighting with another dog. Yume got caught in it and he saved her somehow, like the Mary-sue Prince Charming he is, and then went into hospital for a week. Bite wounds and stuff, and rabies too. I wouldn't be surprised if he still had em actually..." He and Kunari cracked up at the last bit.

Kunari was secretly relieved that he hadn't gone on that mission, lest Haki be put down for the disease.

Shikaroku shook his head knowing the rabies thing was a lie. He HAD been in hospital though as he had visited him out of pity... That's all. Just pity.

"Well look... I'll talk to him and see if I can pick it. Leave it to me. I'm working on my mind infiltration skills anyway." He stated, getting up and walking away.

After they stopped paying attention he ran to Itachi. Okay, that's a lie. He may like to think he didn't play favourites, he really did care about his friend. He grabbed him by the arm and pulled him aside subtlety. He'd get to the bottom of this... He was a genius after all, and he wanted his friend back.

Itachi grinned a bit tightly and raised his eyebrows. He was REALLY... REEEAAALLY trying to talk with Yume!

"You know the whole school is talking crap about you right? Like more than they normally do? Seriously you're acting like a dick!" He put it straight forward. Itachi frowned and then looked away. This wants good. More and more people were catching on.

Shikaroku grabbed his face and focused it on him. Itachis eyes shrank in fear. He had been avoiding the boy. He knew all too well how with the right amount of effort, this kid could and WOULD read his mind.

But the truth is...

"Itachi, you're hiding something, and if no one else can find it out you know I will." He whispered. "Let's make this easy."

He hesitated, feeling he truly wanted to say something... But he knew he couldn't.

"SPEAK TO ME..." He urged.

Itachi grinned again and then with a poof, he disappeared.

(Itachis POV...)

Shikaroku stood on the spot... Confused and a little hurt. Then again, he hadn't necessarily been too nice about the issue.

Kakashi laid a hand on his shoulder sitting on the same branch in the high trees.

Itachi looked up at him and frowned. He wished he could say something...

"In time, kid. Just be patient, okay? You've got to be tough about this. Besides, you don't even remember what happened to you... And neither do I..." He whispered.

Itachi nodded...

...the day of the mission...

_"Okay kids, just a dog walking mission... What could possibly go wrong right?" Kakashi chuckled reminiscing about his first dog walking mission with team seven... It seemed so far away..._

to be continued.


End file.
